ANNOUNCEMENTS: WEDNESDAY – JANUARY 20, 2016 GENERAL INFORMATION January 27th Ski & Snowboard Club Trip #2 to Martock (leave at 2:30pm) RED CROSS – ICE SAFETY http://www.redcross.ca/training-and-certification/swimming-and-water-safety-tips-andresources/swimming--boating-and-water-safety-tips/ice-safety Students, please be aware that the ice on Bissett Lake is not completely frozen, and is therefore very dangerous for you to be walking on – PLEASE STAY OFF THE ICE! Also, please note that the path that leads to Bissett Lake is off-limits for students. HRM – BADMINTON DROP-IN There will be HRM Recreation drop-in badminton for junior high students at Astral Drive Junior High on Friday evenings (starting January 8th) from 8:00pm – 9:30pm. Cost is $2/night. GUIDANCE NEWS 2016-2017 Registration Verification sheets that were sent home with grade 7 and 8 are to be returned to your homeroom teacher by the end of the day, today! GSA There will be a GSA meeting tomorrow -Thursday, January 21st at 12:00 noon in room 106! HOCKEY TEAM Congratulations to the hockey team on capturing the Akerley Zone championship yesterday!!!! The team moves on to the Regional championship. PHYS ED NEWS Beep Test and push-up redo's will take place after school today. GREEN TEAM A Could members of Green Team A go to Madame Lavoie’s room #109 after the announcements. Teachers are asked to place their recyclables outside their classrooms after announcements. FREE THE CHILDREN Reminder to all members of Free the Children that there is a meeting today at lunch in Ms. Jones' room. GIRLS’ BASKETBALL The girls’ basketball team defeated Gaetz Brook last night 69-19. The Mustangs were led by Emily MacNeil who had 17 points, Maddie Savard with 16 points, and Haley MacLeod had 10 points. The girls have a game tomorrow-Thursday, at EPEC, and are asked to be there by 3:30pm. LOLLIPOPS Lollipops will be sold on Friday during lunch from 11:45-12:05. There will be a great selection of flavours to choose from. Cost $1.00 each. SKI & SNOWBOARD CLUB Ms. Jones and Ms. Little will be collecting money for the second ski trip during lunch in Ms. Little’s Lab tomorrow – Thursday, January 21st. If you haven’t already done so, please bring a Martock waiver form along with your money. Again it is first-come, first-serve! If you have any questions, please see Ms. Jones or Ms. Little. Date of second ski/snowboard trip is January 27th! AFTER-SCHOOL BUS DUTY Ms. Lemire & Mrs. Choueiri BAND ANNOUNCEMENTS WEEK OF JAN 18-22ND WEDNESDAY Select Band tomorrow at 7:30am. WEATHER CHANGING – DRESS WARM Reminder to students to please dress warm when coming to school and for the outdoor lunch period. Students need to get their jackets at the FIRST of lunch, for they are not permitted to go to their lockers during lunch. So, again, please get your jacket at the first of lunch when you go to your lockers to put away your books. LUNCH ROOMS For students that use the lunch rooms – please use the garbage and recycle container once you finish your lunch. We appreciate your part in keep this area clean! SPORTS’ TEAMS A reminder to all players on our sports teams that cleats are NOT to be worn in any part of the school for any reason. If you are at a practice or a game, and need to come into the school, please remove your cleats prior to entering the building. Additionally, if you are getting changed before a game or practice, please wait until you leave the school before putting your cleats on. Thanks. Students are also reminded to use the garbage cans that are located on the school grounds. Do not drop garbage on the ground. REMINDER: PEANUT/NUT-AWARE SCHOOL Reminder to students that we are a peanut/nut aware school. We have students in our school that have a very serious reaction to all peanut products/ingredients. It has been brought to our attention that Reese Peanut Butter snacks are being brought to school. Please know that these products, along with all other peanut products, may cause serious injury and/or death. Please consider the well-being of your classmates and do not bring any of these products to school. DRESS CODE ADJH is your place of work. Your dress should be appropriate for school and should not interfere with students’ abilities to do their best work. Head coverings such as hats, caps, headbands, hoods, scarves and bandanas are to be placed in your locker before entering homeroom. Coats and jackets are to be placed in your locker upon entering school and are not to go along with students to class. Clothing worn is to be in good taste and the messages and slogans presented on them are to be constructive and appropriate to the school environment. Pants with inappropriate messages on the seat are unacceptable. Tops that reveal bare stomach, back, shoulders or chest, and pants that reveal underwear are not acceptable. Tank tops with spaghetti straps, very short skirts or shorts, shirts with low necklines and muscle shirts are not appropriate. Students wearing clothing considered by staff to be inappropriate for school environment will be expected to change or cover up. We appreciate parents’ support for this policy. More details of our dress code can be found on our webpage. SCHOOL CLOSURE INFORMATION The Halifax Regional School Board takes great care when making the decision to alter the normal operations of schools and board offices in the event of severe or inclement weather. It is our goal to make the decision as close to 6 a.m. as possible. Here are a few ways you can find out: Check our website at www.hrsb.ca Follow us on Twitter at Twitter.com/HRSB_Official Call our information line at 902-464-INFO (4636) Listen to your radio— (All local radio stations are informed) Sign up to receive e-mail or text message notification of cancellations (link) For more information on this process, click here. REMINDER TO STUDENTS REVIEW OF SCHOOL PROCEDURES REVISITED Backpacks: For reasons of safety, we would like to remind students, as per page 9 of the student agendas, no backpacks are permitted, at any time, in the classrooms. Backpacks must be kept in your locker. The back packs are taking up the space in aisles – limits space and fire regulations, and teachers are not able to see contains in the bags that can be dangerous, prohibited etc…, we are allowing Cinch bags, very small and Sobeys bags can be used for Phys Ed clothes only, when students have PHED two hours a week. Rational for this rule: Backpacks and book bags can take up a great deal space in the classrooms and they create hazards when students and staff are trying to walk up and down aisles. Our chief concern is students falling and getting hurt. Also, it is important staff is aware of what students are bringing into the classrooms to ensure all students are safe. Lunch: To avoid congestion in the hallways, students are required to get their jackets and lunches out of their lockers at the beginning of lunch (11:45am). When students are done eating their lunch, they are to go directly outside. No students will be permitted to their lockers, without permission, at any time after the start of lunch. Students are not permitted to eat in the hallways. If it is an indoor lunch, an announcement will be made before lunch. Lockers: In following in the Nova Scotia Department of Education’s Time to Learn Strategy, we feel it is important to maximize the amount of time students are in the classroom learning. With that in mind, we would like to remind students they are not permitted to go to their lockers between classes. Times students can access their locker: Morning First of break First of lunch/after lunch End of the day With teacher permission ALLERGIES – SCENT & NUT AWARE There are a number of students and staff with various allergies at Astral Drive Junior High! We currently have students with peanut allergies. We are a Nut Aware & Scent Aware school and ask that staff, students and visitors respect our policy of minimum scents please and be nut aware. PLEASE DO NOT BRING NUTELLA TO THE SCHOOL!