Eric Graves Memorial Junior High School SEPTEMBER, 2014 NEWSLETTER School Email: egmjh@hrsb.ns.ca School Website: www.egmjh.ednet.ns.ca Principal’s Message I would like to welcome all the students and parents / guardians to a new school year at Eric Graves Memorial Junior High. After a busy week, the students seem to have settled into a routine. All students have been to all their classes and met all their teachers. They also have their lockers, agendas and copies of their schedules etc. Student fees ($40.00) are due to the school this week. If you have not submitted these, please send them in with your child. As returning or new students, I hope you all enjoy your year and everything Eric Graves Memorial Junior High has to offer. The most important thing to do in Junior High is to get involved in the activities of the school. We have lots of clubs as well as intramurals, sports teams and school trips etc. Sign up for activities and try out for our teams!!!! The population of Eric Graves Memorial Junior High is 162 students this year. We have a total of 6 homeroom classes - 2 grade seven classes, 2 grade eight classes and 2 grade nine classes. We encourage you to check with your child each night to see if they have any homework. The school newsletter will go out to parents/guardians every month. Students will bring it home on the Wednesday of the first full week of the month. It will always be on yellow paper so I encourage you to ask your child for it on those days. We will also be emailing the newsletter to parents as well as posting it on the school’s website. The newsletter has important dates, information and events parents like to know. It is important for all parents and guardians to know I am available if you have any questions or concerns. My door is always open and I welcome you to drop in or call the school. If I am not immediately available, I will make arrangements to see you as soon as possible. Karen Dale Principal Meet and Greet Curriculum Night On Wednesday, September 17th, Eric Graves Memorial Junior High will be hosting a Curriculum Night at 6:00 p.m. The evening will begin with a brief introduction from Ms. Dale in the gymnasium. Parents / guardians are then invited to visit the teachers to view the curriculum being taught this year at the Junior High level. Teachers will be available to discuss the educational model of teaching students based on “learning outcomes”. They will also be available to discuss the assessment policy which now exists for all middle school/junior high students in the Halifax Regional School Board. Phone: 435-8325 Safe Arrival: 435-8325 supports the Terry Fox Foundation. Please send in what you can in order to support cancer research. Top Tigers Eric Graves Memorial Junior High School will again be recognizing students as “Top Tigers” each week. These students have been nominated by their teachers for their positive behavior and contributions to the school. The administration will be making phone calls to parents / guardians each Friday acknowledging their child’s success. Fall Fundraiser – Gigantic Book Sale and Flea Market – Saturday, October 18th Eric Graves Memorial Junior High will be having our Fourth Annual Book Sale and Flea Market as our fall fundraiser. We are hoping our community and families become involved by donating goods and/or volunteering their time at the event itself. Flea Market If each family could donate at least one box of items we feel this will be a huge success. This Monday, September 17 th, we will begin accepting donations here at the school. Please send in or drop off any new or gently used goods. We will be collecting small appliances, sporting goods, small pieces of furniture, toys and almost any miscellaneous items (no clothes please). If you are unable to drop off your items and you need to have them picked up please contact the school. Book Sale We hope to have hundreds of books donated so please start sending them into the school as soon as possible. Please note that we are not able to accept any National Geographic or Encyclopedia sets. Parent Volunteers are needed to help on Friday evening (sorting, organizing and setting up) and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for the sale itself. If you are able to help out please call us and let us know – 435- 8325. School Advisory Council The School Advisory Council is a legal body of parents, students, staff and community members elected to advise the Principal on issues concerning improved student learning outcomes at our school. This is a valued part of our school community which will meet six (6) times during the school year at 5:00 p.m. Stand Up Against Bullying Day / Pink Day Stand Up Against Bullying Day will be held in all Nova Scotia schools tomorrow, Thursday, September 11 th. Students and staff are reminded to support this cause by wearing pink. This small gesture gives us the opportunity to show we are united against bullying in schools /workplaces throughout the province. **We will be requiring another student to volunteer their time. If you are interested please contact the office. The Eric Graves Memorial Junior High School Advisory Council is comprised of the following members: Mary Lou Stewart – Chair Karen Dale – Principal Paula Fairbairn – Vice Principal Ann Leahy – Parent Mark Paquette – Parent Joe Fauteux - Parent Ralph MacKenzie – Community Member / Chair of Discipline Committee Wendy Forrest – School Support Staff Jacqueline Harrington – Teaching Staff Bhreagh MacDonald – Teaching Staff Josh Paquette – Student Grade 9 Terry Fox Run – September 26th Students and staff of EGMJH are proud to be taking part in the Terry Fox Run again this year. We are asking students to each bring in a Toonie (or more) to support this cause. Money will be collected during the week of the run. This money directly Lunch Program All students are allowed to stay for lunch at school and eat in the lunch room. We ask you to please speak with your children about being on their very best behavior during lunch. Once the students leave the lunchroom they have a choice of **Please remember this is not an evening where teachers will be meeting with parents about individual students. Those meetings will take place during parent – teacher visitation night. where they would like to spend the rest of the lunch break. Students can go to the computer lab, library, gymnasium or outside. There is supervision provided for students if they stay inside the building for the entire lunch. If students choose to go outside when they finish in the lunch room then supervision is not provided until 12:25. Cell Phones / Electronic Devices / Hats Students have all been told to make sure they put these items in their lockers when they arrive at school. Cell phones are permitted during lunchtime but please remember this is the only time of the day where students are allowed to use their phones. If students are found to have these items with them during class time, they will be turned into the office and returned to them at the end of the day. If this continues to be a problem, parents will be notified and asked to drop into the school to pick these items up. There are occasions where students are asked to bring their phone to class. This is in support of our Bring your own Device (BYOD) initiative where teachers are using these as teaching tools. Hats are not permitted to be worn in school. School Volunteers When students reach Junior High/Middle School parents often feel they are not needed to volunteer. We would love to have your help as a volunteer at our school (dances, class trips, fundraising, etc.) If you are interested please contact the school at 435-8325 and leave your name and number. We would appreciate your support in any way!! All volunteers must have a Criminal Records check and a Child Abuse Registry check. If you have these we would require a copy here in the office. If you would like to volunteer and do not have this documentation, please contact the school and we will advise you of the process. PowerSchool Students and parents have access to current marks, attendance records, assignment due dates and school announcements via iNSchool. I encourage you to learn more about the program/portal at http://inschool.ednet.ns.ca Click on student-parent portal on the left. Grade 7, 8 and 9 students and parents will continue to use the confidential user names and passwords that were provided last year. If these have been misplaced please contact Ms. Forrest at the school and she will send it home with your child. Work Recovery Completing assigned work is an expectation for all students at Eric Graves. To support students in demonstrating their understanding of a specific outcome(s) Eric Graves has implemented, and is continuing this year, with a work recovery initiative. Work recovery will begin Wednesday, September 17th from 2:50 to3:50 in the library. Ms. Fairbairn will see students who are required to stay for work recovery. Grade 7 parents will receive more detailed information in a letter later this week. Parent Visitation The first Parent Visitation will be held on November 17 th from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. If there are any concerns you may have about your child prior to that time, please contact the teacher at the school. Canteen Our canteen is available every recess and lunch. Items are reasonably priced and follow the Board nutrition policy. Immunization Update 2014-15 This school year, Public Health Services will once again be providing four free vaccines to target a number of vaccine preventable disease in the adolescent population in Grade 7. These vaccines are: Meningococcal group C conjugate (Men-C-C), a vaccine to prevent bacterial meningitis Tetanus, diphtheria and acellular pertussis vaccine (Tdap), a booster vaccine to prevent tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough Hepatitis B (HB), a vaccine to prevent hepatitis, offered in two doses Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, offered to female students only (three doses) Helpful Tips for the Day of the Clinic Ensure that your child has returned their consent form to the school prior to the clinic day. Encourage your child to eat a healthy breakfast. Immunizations can sometimes be very stressful. It may help your child to bring a comfort item to the clinic such as a favourite stuffed animal, stress ball, mp3 player with headphones to listen to music, a book or sometimes young people like to bring photo. Focus on deep breathing exercises. Eric Graves Clinic Dates are: Oct. 27/14 Feb. 4/15 May 23/14 It is very important for students to attend school on the clinic date(s). Vaccines are given over a period of three clinics because of specific timelines required. Missing a clinic can make it difficult to complete the vaccination series and therefore may not provide your child with full protection against vaccine preventable diseases. Eric Graves Counselling Services As a parent, one of your greatest hopes is to see that your child reach their full potential. The counsellor’s job is to help along that path. Every day, students face challenges - tough classes, peer pressure, as well as family and personal concerns. It is not always easy to be a Junior High student. At Eric Graves, counselling services are provided to help young people help themselves throughout these challenges. Counselling can take place as individual sessions, small group sessions and even sessions with the entire class. The question most asked by parents and guardians is “How can I help my young student be successful at Junior High?” Although there is no guaranteed answer to this question there are some things parents can do that will help a great deal. A) Stay involved in your child’s academic and social life. (Know what is going on with your young person) B) Communicate with the school. (Support the school and ask questions) C) Let your child know you care. (Give praise where it is deserved and embarrass them with your affection) In addition to services for students, consultations with parents and teachers are a common occurrence in the counselling office. When students are having academic, behavioral, emotional, or social difficulties, collaboration between the teacher, counselor and parents is usually helpful for students. If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact me at the school. Mr. Ingram 435-8430 or pingram@hrsb.ca Music Choir starts Thursday, September 18th. All singers, dancers and beat boxers are welcome! There will be a meeting at lunch in room 106 to set a practice schedule. The sign-up sheet is posted on the door. Maritime Theatre School For any students who wish to try acting or becoming a triple threat: maritime theatre school is now offering teen classes in both theatre and "glee"(musical theatre) in both Clayton Park and Bedford locations. Call 902-835-5776 to register and for more information go to: www.maritimetheatreschool.com Video Surveillance Our school uses a video surveillance system as part of our continued efforts to support a safe, positive and effective learning environment. We recognize that the images recorded by this video surveillance system are personal information and, as with all other personal information, we take steps to balance privacy rights with safety and security concerns. The school has the legal authority to collect this personal information under Section 24 of Nova Scotia’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Only designated staff has access to our video surveillance equipment and such access is restricted as required by law. The system is used to enhance school safety and to deter or take action in response to unlawful behaviors. If you have any questions about video surveillance at our school, please contact Ms. Dale or Ms. Fairbairn at 435-8325. SCHOOL CLOSURE DUE TO INCLEMENT WEATHER OR EMERGENCY CLOSURE DUE TO EXCEPTIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES Eric Graves Memorial Junior High is a member of the Prince Andrew High Family of Schools During the school year it may become necessary to cancel school due to inclement weather or some unforeseen emergency such as an extended power outage, loss of heat, loss of water etc. The following information will apply to all school closures. The decision to cancel school will usually be made as close to 6:00 a.m. as possible. This decision will be communicated on the radio, the Board’s web site, the main switchboard and through the school cancellation number – 464-info (4636). School could be cancelled Board Wide, by Family of Schools (we are part of the Prince Andrew District High School family of schools), or by individual schools. If we are experiencing inclement weather and school has not been cancelled, parents are requested to ensure their children are properly dressed for the weather conditions regardless of whether they travel by bus or walk. If weather conditions are questionable, parents should continue to monitor the radio, web site or school cancellation number. Before dropping students off at school during inclement weather days, parents should ensure that staff have arrived and are immediately available to provide supervision. If busses are cancelled and schools are open, parents must use their own discretion with regard to sending their children to school. Meaningful activities will be going on in classrooms, however, students who are unable to attend due to inclement weather and/or bus cancellation will not be penalized because of assignments given or due on that day. Medic Alert The Canadian MedicAlert® Foundation is a charitable organization which is the leading provider of emergency medical information services linked to customized medical bracelets and necklaces. We are pleased to be able to offer MedicAlert memberships to students (from age 4 to their 14th birthday) through the No Child Without® program in select schools. The financial support of the Government of Canada and Lions Clubs allows students to receive the MedicAlert membership for FREE. More information can be found at www.nochildwithout.ca Little Caesars & Subway Info We will be continuing our Pizza Fridays by the end of September. Information will be sent home with your student. We are also looking into having Subway on a different day of the week. This will be confirmed in the coming weeks. Tigers’ Tails Athletics News Welcome to another year of Eric Graves Athletics and Intramural news. We are currently having students sign up for various athletic teams. Sport Boys Girls Touch Football Mr. McGinnis Mr. Hughes Mr. Jacobi Ms. Syms Jessica Kimber TBA Ms. McArel Deanna Kimber Ms. Syms Mr. Hughes Softball Mr. Sinclair Mr. Hughes Soccer Volleyball Mr. Paquette Mr. Ingram Mr. Howell Mr. Hughes Ms. Harrington Ms. Syms Basketball Indoor Field Hockey Track & Field (Co-Ed) Ice Hockey (Co-Ed) Badminton Mr. Gouthro Ms. Fairbairn Mr. Hughes Ms. Syms Mr. Hughes Ultimate Frisbee (Co-Ed) Ms. Syms Ms. Syms Lacrosse TBA TBA Intramurals 12:00-12:35 Monday to Friday During the next 4 Wednesdays the gym will only be open to grade 7 students. These are organized activities which are run during the lunch hour. Proper foot wear is a must. The schedule for 1st term will be: Monday - Floor Hockey Tuesday – Soccer Wednesday – Flag Football (after the 4 gr. 7’s only in the gym) Thursday – Basketball Friday – Team Dodgeball Any questions regarding athletics and intramurals please contact Ms. Paula Syms via email. psyms@hrsb.ns.ca Important Dates to Remember September 11 – Pink Day – Stand Up Against Bullying September 16 –School Photos September 17 – Curriculum Night 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. September 23 – School Photo Retakes September 26 – Terry Fox Run – p.m. September 29 – School Based PD – No Classes October 13 – Thanksgiving – No Classes October 24 – Provincial Conference Day – No Students Present October 27 – Immunization Day November 11 – Remembrance Day – No Students Present November 17 – Professional Development – a.m. – No Students -Parent Visitation 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. -Parent Visitation 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. November 28 – WE Day December 1 – Assessment Day – No Students Present