The Villanovan
A Monthly Publication of Villanova Junior High School
Volume 8 Issue 9
www.villanova.k12.nf.ca
May 2014
Principal: Mr. Barry Jenkins
barryjenkins@esdnl.ca
Telephone: 834-3916
Fax: 834-4064
Assistant Principal: Ms. Carolyn Tilley
carolyntilley@esdnl.ca
Staffing Update
Grade 8 Farewell
Ms. Shelley Stead returned to her position this
week and we welcome her back and wish her all
the best. We would also like to offer our thanks to
Ms. Mary-Beth Eason for her work, replacing Ms.
Stead, these past few months and wish her all the
best.
The grade 8 farewell will take place on Thursday,
May 29th, this is an event for students only. The
Farewell will involve a dinner (pizza), fun awards
and dance. It will run from 6:30 pm – 10:00 pm.
Parents are asked to pick up their children at the
dismissal time of 10:00 pm. Please be aware that
this is not a formal event and students should not
be purchasing expensive clothing for this event.
High School graduation Prom style dresses, for
example, are not appropriate. A separate memo
with more details will be coming home next week.
Student Reporting Grade 7 & 8
The next report card for our students will be the
final report card in June. We would like to remind
you that marks for grade 7 & 8 students can be
viewed in PowerSchool through the Parent Portal.
You can access the Parent/Student Portal from the
main page of our website or through the following
link https://pschool.esdnl.ca/public/
It is very important that you check this regularly so
you are aware of the progress your child is making.
If you have questions regarding your child’s marks
please contact their classroom subject teacher.
If you do not have your Parent Portal logon
information it is available at the main office. If you
are unable to get into the office during regular
hours please contact Mr. Jenkins to make alternate
arrangements. The Parent Portal will be your
guide to your child’s grades until the final
report card in June. It will help you help your
children and their teachers to ensure your
children are on task.
Final Exams
Assessments
and
Provincial
To help with your end of year planning our grade 7
& 8 students will be writing exams from of June 17
- 20. All students MUST write their final exam. The
only exceptions will be for medical reasons, with
appropriate Doctor’s notes, or family emergencies.
JUNE 2014 Jr. High EXAM SCHEDULE
Time June 17 June 18
June 19 June 20
9:00
Gr. 7
Gr. 7
Gr. 7
Gr. 8
to
English
Francais* Math
Math
11:30 Gr. 8
Gr. 8
Gr. 8
am
Francais* English
Science
12:30
to
2:30
pm
No
Exam
No
Exam
No
Exam
Gr. 7
Science
*French Immersion students only
An exam memo and procedures will be sent home
later this month.
Our grade 6 students will be writing their
Provincial Assessment in Mathematics from June
10 – 12.
We would also like to inform you that Party Busses
are NOT permitted to pick up students from the
school or church parking lot at the end of the
evening. This happened a couple of years ago and
we had no idea or control over where students
were going or who they were going with. For
safety reasons we CANNOT permit this to
occur. We are not able to ensure students are
leaving with the correct people, nor can we ensure
their safety. If you are planning on organizing a
bus you will need to arrange pick up at a home
address, NOT on the school or church parking lots.
We appreciate your cooperation and understanding
with this very important safety concern. We need
students picked up at the end of the evening by a
parent or guardian.
Mini-Enrichment Program
Courses have begun and are ongoing. Students
involved were given their letter with course
information prior to the Easter Break. Please
ensure you mark the dates of their course in your
calendars to avoid any confusion on the day of your
child’s course. Students will need to bring their
acceptance letter and waiver on the first day.
Teacher PD Day
We are having a teacher PD Day on Friday, May
30th, 2014. We will be focusing on our School
Development Plan from this year and planning for
2014-2015. As a result of this PD Day there will
not be any school for our students on Friday,
May 30th, 2014. Please mark this date in your
calendars.
Breakfast Program
April was a very busy month for our Eat and Run
Café. On the 8th we welcomed four volunteers from
Hydro who treated the students to our usual fare as
well as delicious, nutritious smoothies. On the 10th
we held our annual apple themed day and students
got to enjoy apples, apple sauce and lots of apple
muffins. A big thank you to all of the staff, parents
and volunteers who contributed to this event. Your
continued support is much appreciated. If you
would like to donate anything to our breakfast
program please contact Ms. Brenda Abbott via email, at brendaabbott@esdnl.ca.
UNDER THE TRUSTEESHIP OF THE NL ENGLISH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Page 1
Below is a picture of the workers from Hydro
serving smoothies.
Clara’s Big Ride
The first day back after Easter vacation was a
fantastic one for students and staff at Villanova
Junior High. Thanks to Ms. Tilley and Ms. Brenton
who took the lead in planning for weeks, eagerly
anticipating the day when Clara’s Big Ride reached
Villanova Junior High and this was it!!! Clara arrived
at school at 9am to a captive audience who listened
to the story of her life and her journey to
recognizing,
understanding,
and
accepting
depression and how she has worked tirelessly to
stop the stigma surrounding mental health. Our
students also heard an inspiring message from a
member of our community, Mr. Ken Pieroway,
whose son’s death by suicide has lead him to reach
out to others to help start and keep the
conversations around mental health going. A third
special guest was here as well, Mr. Seamus
O’Regan, native Newfoundlander and member of
the CTV news team, who has been accompanying
Clara through parts of her St. John’s leg of her
journey. Before Clara left, she was treated to a
flashmob by our Grade 5 students and some of our
Grade 6 students and she was truly touched by the
work they put in for her. She even tweeted that she
loved it! We would like to thank Bell for the Let’s
Talk Program (and for choosing Villanova as the
school for Clara’s visit!), Clara Hughes and all of
the team on Clara’s Big Ride, Seamus O’Regan,
and Ken Pieroway for making this a great event.
Please follow Clara’s Big Ride and let’s use social
media for a great cause as we tweet, re-tweet,
share, and do whatever it takes to keep the
conversation going! Good luck Clara on the next
6500kilometres of your ride! We will be following
you!
Clara is presenting a team jersey for our school to
Mr. Jenkins and student Elizabeth Blake. Mr. Ken
Pieroway and Seamus O’Regan also participated.
School Dress Code
With the warmer weather we would like to remind
you of the dress code for our school. During the
warmer days we find many of our students,
particularly girls, who are not dressed appropriately
for a school setting.
As a quick reminder:
clothing which is revealing such as tube tops, low
cuts, belly shirts, short skirts/shorts and revealed
underwear are NOT acceptable to the educational
environment of the school. All shirts/tops are
required to cover the shoulders and must not be
see through. Yoga pants and leggings are also
questionable. These are appropriate when worn
with a long top, dress or skirt. Appropriate footwear
is also very important as students move through the
building up and down stairs, high heels or flip flops
can be very dangerous for students. We ask that
you discuss the proper dress code with your child.
Students not adhering to this code may be
asked to call home to get appropriate clothing
or asked to wear school provided clothing.
Scholastic
Champion
Challenge
2014
Villanova is very proud to recognize grade eight
student, Andrew Hadfield, for his success in the
2014 Canadian Scholastic Challenge. The
Scholastic Achievement Challenge is an annual
contest designed to “challenge students to
demonstrate knowledge and thinking skills, and to
recognize and reward excellence.” Andrew was
among approximately 9000 grade eight students
from various schools across the country and from
our province who participated in the challenge.
Approximately, 25 grade eight students from
Villanova Junior High were involved in the online
contest and 11 of these students received scores
higher than the national average. Andrew received
the highest overall score in our school and will
receive an award at Villanova’s grade eight school
leaving ceremony in June. Way to go Andrew and
all participants in the Scholastic Challenge! Ms.
Amy Noftle, our Scholastic Challenge Coordinator
is picture with Andrew below.
School Council
Should you have any questions our concerns
regarding our school please contact your parent
representatives: Gina Pecore (Chair) 834-2236 or
gina@genoadesign.com Lorilynn Rowsell 834-3329
or lrowsell@mun.ca and Shelley Moores 834-2733
or waltersshelley@hotmail.com.
The other
members on our school council are teacher
representatives, Darlene Moulton, Tracy Bowers,
UNDER THE TRUSTEESHIP OF THE NL ENGLISH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Page 2
and Huberta Lundrigan, community representative
Mr. Rick Stanley as well as Principal, Barry
Jenkins. Our regular monthly meetings are held on
the fourth Thursday of the month beginning at 5:00
pm in the school library. Minutes of our meetings
and other information relating to school council are
posted on our web site under the School Council
button.
Curriculum Information
Grade 5 News - Ms. Collins
Another busy month has flown by in the grade five
classes. All grade 5 students are presently working
on their persuasive essays. The students have
brought in their research and many have chosen
very interesting and unique topics. The rough drafts
and final copies will be done in class and then they
will be presented orally to their classmates. For the
French
Immersion
students,
classroom
representatives will be selected to participate in the
French speak-off on May 13th. For the English
Language Arts students, three classroom winners
will be chosen from each grade five English class
and will go on to represent their classes in the
Grade 5 Oratorical Speak-off on May 27. Prior to
the Easter break the grade 5 students completed
the Division unit in Mathematics. Our students will
now move on to Measurement, including topics on
conversions, length, area and perimeter. In
addition, we will be exploring volume and capacity
and solving problems involving measurement. As
always we ask that you please continue to review
multiplication facts with your son or daughter as
they need to be able to readily recall these. We are
cluing up our Science unit entitled Bodyworks.
Later this month, we will be studying the
reproductive system, which is the last system to
complete. The grade five teachers will send home a
letter notifying all parents when this unit will be
taught. We will then begin our final unit entitled
‘Putting it in Motion”. This unit deals with simple
machines in our lives, such as levers, gears,
inclined planes and pulleys. We will also investigate
friction, gravity, potential and kinetic energy and
how machines make our lives easier. The grade
five students showed amazing school spirit during
Clara Hughes visit during her Big Ride Tour. We
were all so proud of the students who took part in
the “We’re all in this Together” flash mob dance.
Finally all grade five students have worked very
hard in class on their Heritage Fair projects. We
enjoyed seeing all the projects on display for our
Heritage evening. Please remind your children that
with warmer weather coming there is still two full
months of school left and a lot to accomplish. As
always, we thank you for your continued support.
continuing to also work through novel studies,
either “Hatchet” and/or “The Breadwinner”.
Another annual event, the Kiwanis Grade 6 Spelling
Bee will take place on May 12th at 7pm. Two
student representatives from grade six will be
selected by May 9th for this competition.
In Math, we have completed our Multiplication and
Division of Decimals unit and our focus is now on
Measurement. Please ensure your child has a
protractor, compass and ruler (geometry set)
necessary for this unit. Multiplication quizzes and
problem solving activities are also ongoing as part
of preparing students for their upcoming Math
Provincial Assessment from June 10-12th.
In French, students are continuing to work through
spring, food and music units with an emphasis on
communication and hands-on learning. In Français,
EFI students are finishing up presentation of their
French speeches.
In Science, we are continuing with our Space unit.
Students are captivated by this topic and there is
still much to be learned and discovered as we work
through various research and hands-on activities.
We feel mixed emotions as we approach our final
month working with your wonderful children. As
always, we thank you for your continued support!
English Language Arts - Ms. Babb
First and foremost the Language Arts department
would like to congratulate Joel Stead and Sara
Gambin for doing an outstanding job representing
our school at the Lions Club Speak Out on April 8th.
Joel and Sara competed against other grade 7 and
8 students from Frank Roberts and they both
presented amazing speeches. Joel was awarded
first place and Sara second runner up. Joel and
Sara were also given the Lions Club team trophy
for the school earning the highest number of points
among the Grade Seven and Eight students. Joel
will now compete in the Regional Lions Club Speak
Out to be held in St.John’s on May 25th, 2014 and
we wish him the best of luck.
Below is a picture of Sara and Joel receiving the
team trophy from the Lions.
Grade 6 News - Ms. Stead
Grade six students have had yet another busy and
successful month! In Language Arts, students
have been working on their grammar, word choice
and editing skills in preparation for our persuasive
writing unit (speeches). All writing of speeches will
be completed in school and, once presented, two
representatives from each class will have the
opportunity to participate in our annual Grade 5/6
Oratorical (English) near the end of May. The
French Speak-Off is scheduled for May 13th. The
EFI classes are enjoying working through their
Poetry unit. In addition, many of us are also
Students have remained busy over the last month
in Language Arts. In grade 7, we have just finished
our final novel study unit for the year, Among the
Hidden. The test for this unit took place prior to
Easter Break and marks have been given to
students. Meanwhile, the grade 8’s have just
completed their final process piece, a fairy tale.
Students have worked very hard creating original
stories that incorporate the elements of a fairy tale
and the language arts teachers are thoroughly
enjoying reading the final products. Fairy tale
UNDER THE TRUSTEESHIP OF THE NL ENGLISH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Page 3
process piece grades will be returned as soon as
possible.
Now that these units are completed, both grades
will begin the Drama units. We look forward to
these units each year since they involve the chance
for students to participate in some reader’s theater
and acting.
Our final units for the year will be Mysteries/ Fears
and Phobias in grade 7 and Chasing a Dream in
grade 8. We will start these once June begins and
use them as a means to review for the final exams.
At that time, students will receive detailed exam
study-guides.
Math Department – Ms. Janet Andrews
The year is flying by! Less than two months left. It’s
the perfect time to organize for final exams. Take
some time to sort through your materials to ensure
they are organized by unit. This will help as you
begin your preparation for exams. You will receive
a review package right after the long weekend in
May. It will include a practice sheet on each unit
you have completed this year. Having your work
arranged by unit will make it easier to complete the
review. In addition to this review, you will also
complete a practice exam in early June. Trying your
best on both of these things will help you to do well
on your final exam. For now, though, it is important
to ensure you are prepared for each class. An
exercise, graph paper, a ruler, and several pencils
are needed every day.
Currently in grade 7, we are finishing the equations
unit. This unit will not have a traditional test.
Instead, there will be a rotating stations activity on
May 5th. For the next unit (Data Analysis), graph
paper and a ruler are needed. In grade 8, the unit 6
assignment is due May 5th and the test is May 8th or
May 9th depending on your class. Check the
homework site. The next unit is Data Analysis and
Probability.
The Monday tutorial sessions continue from 2:45 to
3:45. Students are encouraged to take full
advantage of this opportunity to get help with
concepts with which they may be having difficulty.
French Department - Ms. Howse
Core French
Grade 7 classes have begun the unit, «Le Grand
Voyage. » In this unit of study, students will learn
the necessary vocabulary in order to discuss
traveling around the world and their own vacations.
Students will soon create a travel brochure in which
they will present a country of their choosing to their
classmates.
Grade 8 classes are continuing to work on the unit
«Rétro Monde» in which they will soon complete
their final project about the 1960s, 1970s or 1980s.
Students will present one of the three decades,
including at least four of the categories studied
throughout the unit. All students are encouraged to
work with a partner on this assignment.
French Immersion 7/8
Grade 7 LFI classes are now completing the
cooperative learning project for Santé. Students will
become “teachers” and instruct their classmates
through the use of presentations, activities, posters,
etc. We cannot wait to see the exciting lessons
each group has created.
Grade 8 LFI classes have recently presented their
persuasive essays. All students did a fantastic job!
These groups are also completing the cooperative
learning project for Santé. Students have begun
their research and are excited to teach their
classmates the information they have learned.!
Grade 7 EFI classes are now completing the
cooperative learning project for Santé. Students will
become “teachers” and instruct their classmates
through the use of presentations, activities, posters,
etc. We cannot wait to see the exciting lessons
each group has created.
Grade 8 EFI classes are also completing the
cooperative learning project for Santé. Students
have begun their research and are excited to teach
their classmates the information they have learned.
Our school-wide «Concours Oratoire» will take
place the evening of Tuesday, May 13;
beginning at 6:30.
Quebec Trip. We will be departing in 18 days.
Please ensure you have your child’s Passport or
Photo ID from Motor Registration. We will be
having a meeting with students and parents prior to
our departure date. This meeting will be on
Tuesday, May 6, beginning at 7:00 pm in the
gym. This meeting is for students and at least one
parent or guardian. If you have any questions
please contact Mr. Jenkins.
Social Studies Department - Ms. Ball
Grade 7
In Grade 7 we are still working on Chapter 6:
Listening to the People. This chapter deals with
the establishment of representative and then
responsible government in BNA. The focus in
Chapter 6 is on how people in BNA empowered
themselves to bring about political change, leading
to the democracy which we now enjoy in Canada.
At the start of the chapter we also incorporated
parts of Chapter 7 through an exploration of the
present day federal system of government and the
different responsibilities that come about with each
level of government. We also explored the voting
process in present day Canada.
The test for this chapter is scheduled for the week
of May 12th – 16th. There was an assignment for
this chapter as well on the Virginia Waters bielection. Please refer to your child’s homework/
webpage for due dates and test dates.
In Chapter 7: Confederation we will explore the
factors which lead to the formation of the country
we now know as Canada. In this chapter, students
will look at events in Canadian history such as the
Quebec Conference and also the reasons that lead
each of the colonies to join (or not join in
Newfoundland’s case) together in Confederation in
the 1800s. Students will have the opportunity to
analyze political cartoons and why they were used.
We will look at the BNA act of 1867 and the effect
of this act on the First Nations people. Details about
a test and/or assignment TBA later via email or
homework page.
Grade 8
In Grade 8 we will be testing Chapter 8 May 1213th. In this chapter, we first explored the Great
Depression as a catalyst for WW2. We explored
how our province became involved in the war effort
and our strategic importance to the Americans and
Canadians. We will also examine how WW2 was a
much different war than that of WW1 and how it
profoundly changed our province. There was a
scavenger hunt assignment for this chapter where
students had to find items pertaining to WW2.
UNDER THE TRUSTEESHIP OF THE NL ENGLISH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Page 4
Next chapter, Chapter 9, we will explore
Newfoundland
and
Labrador’s
entry
into
Confederation with Canada in 1949. We will look at
the National Convention and its role in our history.
We will look at key players in the Confederation
such as Lester Burry, Peter Cashin and of course
the “Father of Confederation” Joey Smallwood. We
will examine the process leading up to the 2
referenda in which our political future was decided
by the narrowest of margins. We will finish with a
look at the Terms of Union. Test and assignment
details TBA later via email or homework page.
Grades 7 and 8 Socials: Missed Assignments
There is no final exam in Socials so the last few
tests and assignments are very important in terms
of the overall mark in Socials. It is important
students continue to give their best efforts and get
work in on time. Zeros can be placed on the final
report which may impact students’ final mark
compared to previous reports. We want parents
and students to be aware of the impact of missed
work in case there is a discrepancy between term
work and final marks. Hopefully we can all work
together towards a successful resolution regarding
outstanding work!
Regional Heritage Fair
We wish the best of luck to our 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
place winners from our grade 8 students, Noah
Knee, Levi Moulton and Nick Slade and Sam
Williams who will represent Villanova at the
Regional Heritage Fair on May 2 & 3rd.
Science Department - Ms. Lundrigan
Curriculum Update
Grade 7: Students have just begun work on Unit 4:
Rocks and Minerals. This unit will focus on the
properties of rocks and minerals, the rock cycle,
earthquakes, volcanoes, etc. Each class will begin
the unit with an assignment on examining the
properties of minerals. Students have a choice of
options in how they wish to complete the
assignment. Please refer to your child’s teacher’s
website and/or the homework page for more
details. Grade 7 students are also reminded that a
new duo tang and exercise book is recommended
to help them organize the material covered in this
unit.
Grade 8: Students will write their test on Unit 3 –
Optics during the week of May 5th to May 9th.
Please check the homework page and teacher
websites for more details. Students will then move
onto Unit 4: Cells, Tissues, Organs, and Body
Systems. Students will discover that the cell is the
basic building block and functional unit of life. They
will expand their existing knowledge of organ
systems to understand that they are an integrated
whole. Furthermore, they will examine healthy/nonhealthy lifestyle choices, and determine how these
choices impact cells, tissues, organs and systems.
This will assist students to make informed choices
when it comes to their health. Grade 8 students are
also reminded that a new duo tang and exercise
book is recommended to help them organize the
material covered in this unit.
The final test for all grade 7 and 8 students will be
written for each class in the week of June 9th –
June 13th. As a reminder, there will be NO
cumulative final exam in science. However,
during the final exam week, students will be
required to write a scientific literacy assessment,
valued at 10% of the year.
Scientific Literacy Assessment:
Students will write their scientific literacy
assessments during the week of June 16th to June
20th. Grade 8s will write on June 19 and Grade
7s will write on June 20. The assessment is one
hour in length. While this assessment is not
curricular based, students will be required to read
an unseen case study(s) and answer questions
based on the information provided.
As well,
students will need to construct a graph and provide
analysis based answers about the graph. Teachers
have been working on these types of items
throughout the school year and will continue
practicing these types of items in the weeks leading
up to the assessment.
Regional Science Fair: April 12 – 13th 2013:
The regional science fair was held on April 11 and
12th at Bishop’s College. Our student participants,
as always, represented Villanova extremely well.
We are very proud of all of our participants!!! We
had several students that received awards at the
fair. Leah Hewitt (7-5) received an honorable
mention in the junior physical sciences category.
In the same category, Hilary Oldford (8-1), Noah
Knee (8-6) and Nick Corcoran (8-6) won silver
medals. In the junior life sciences category, Abbey
Sullivan (7-1) and Isobel McMahon (7-1) won a
silver medal for their project. In the junior life
physical sciences category, Jordon Young (8-3)
received a gold medal. Jordon was also the
recipient of the best junior physics project at the fair
sponsored
by
Memorial
University
of
Newfoundland. Congrats to everyone – great job!!!
Art – Ms. Bowers
Grade 5
The Grade 5 students are currently completing an
entry for the United Nations Rights of the Child
Calendar contest. Our next project will be an artist
study of Andy Warhol, in which the students will be
creating their own Warhol-inspired art using ipads
and computer graphics.
Grade 6
The Grade 6 students are currently completing an
entry for the United Nations Rights of the Child
Calendar contest. Our next project will be an artist
study of Andy Warhol, in which the students will be
creating their own Warhol-inspired art using ipads
and computer graphics.
Grade 7:
All grade 7 classes are involved in creating their
Stop Motion Animation unit. Students have been
put into Production teams and all groups should
start the shooting process over the next cycle. It’s
a busy project, but fun! Students need to continue
to pass in their sketches for a total of 10 sketches
by the end of the term. I will be sending home
emails regarding overdue sketches within the next
cycle. All projects up to this point have been
graded and marks can be viewed in Powerschool.
If you have any questions about a mark, please
contact me so we can discuss in more detail.
Grade 8:
All Grade 8 classes have started our Mask projects.
This is a messy project, so students are reminded
to consider what they are wearing on Art days.
Students need to continue to pass in their sketches
for a total of 10 sketches by the end of the term. I
UNDER THE TRUSTEESHIP OF THE NL ENGLISH SCHOOL DISTRICT
Page 5
th
will be sending home emails regarding overdue
sketches within the next cycle. All projects up to
this point have been graded and marks can be
viewed in Powerschool. If you have any questions
about a mark, please contact me so we can discuss
in more detail.
announce the 4 winners (1 per grade level) by May 16 .
I have scanned and created a PowerPoint of all entries
and students can view the Artwork on our Villanova TV.
Thank you again to the students for their overwhelming
interest and enthusiasm for Art.
Guidance – Ms. Brenton
Our club continues to meet every day 3. We are
putting the finishing touches on our bulletin board;
we discuss Social Justice issues and our Safe and
Caring Schools Policy. The goal of the
Newfoundland and Labrador Department of
Education’s Safe and Caring Schools Policy is to
“provide a framework for the development and
implementation of provincial, district and school
level policies and action plans to ensure that
learning and teaching can take place in a safe and
caring environment”. This pertains directly to the
LBGTQ club.
Helping your Child Study for Final Exams
May is here and June will soon be upon us!!
Students should really begin exam preparations at
this time of year to ensure they have adequate time
for studying when exam time arrives. You can find
many excellent test taking tips by following the link
http://www.testtakingtips.com/ or you can find tips
in
the
following
video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCp3OFRod1g&
safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1.
As
well, there is a Study Tips Guide that you can link
to on the bottom of the home page on our school
website.
Special Services Exam Schedule
For the information of parents of students receiving
Accommodations (former Pathway 2), we will be
offering Accommodations to students during their
final exams. Your child’s Service Delivery team
teacher (Ms. Campbell, Ms. Corbett, Ms. Coates, or
Ms. Saunders) will be contacting you later in May
regarding the exam schedule for students with
exceptionalities.
Final Exams and Provincial Assessments
There will likely be some interruptions to IRT
support at Junior High from June 10-12 in order to
provide the necessary accommodations for the
Grade 6 provincial assessment. From June 17 - 20,
there will be interruptions to the Elementary IRT
support as we provide accommodations for exams
in Grade 7 and 8.
Extra-curricular / Co-curricular
We encourage all our students to become involved
in the various activities we offer to them. If you
have any questions about getting your child
involved please contact our office. For details on
the activities offered please check the Extra/cocurricular calendar on the main page of our web
site.
Cupcake Club / Cake Decorating
Ms. Bowers
Cupcake Club / Cake Decorating
We have now finished another successful year of
the Cupcake Club and Cake Decorating. Student
interest was high with over 75 students participating
in the Cake Decorating and believe it or not- over
170 Cupcakes decorated by students!! Thank you
to Ms. Coates, Ms. Campbell and Ms. Lambe for
lending me a hand with the clubs again this year- I
couldn’t have managed without them! Also, a
special thanks to all the students who participated.
I couldn’t ask for a better or more enthusiastic
group of students!
Year End Art Contest 2013-2014
Ms. Bowers
I received over 75 student submissions for our annual
Year End Art contest. With so many amazing entries,
the selection process is taking some time, however I will
LBGTQ Club Ms. Gill
The code of conduct defined in the Safe and Caring
Schools Policy states that it is expected that all
members of the school community will promote
safe, caring and inclusive practice by doing their
best to:
 effect an orderly, productive work and
learning environment free from aggression
and disrespectful behaviour;
 engage in activities and behaviour that
promote health and personal well-being;
 relate to one another in a positive and
supportive manner, with dignity and respect;
and
 embrace the diversity of all peoples,
regardless of sexual orientation.
Please visit www.mygsa.ca for more information.
Robotics (Bionic Vipers) Mr. Walsh
Grade 7 & 8 students had a busy April as they got
closer to the final preparation stages for the MATE
ROV Scout competition held on the evening of
Thursday, May 1st and the day of Friday, May 2nd
at the Marine Institute located at 155 Ridge Rd, St
John's. Over the past couple of months the
students has been given time to make an ROV with
attachments. They have had the opportunity to
pilot and fly the ROV while completing several
tasks related to this year’s competition theme:
Exploring the Great Lakes: Shipwrecks, Sinkholes,
and Conservation in the Thunder Bay National
Marine Sanctuary. Students have been testing the
ROV in the water at the pool owned by Ocean
Quest
(http://www.oceanquestadventures.com/).
The Villanova Bionic Vipers robotics team and the
school would like to say a big Thank-You to Mr.
Rick Stanley and staff of Ocean Quest for
allowing the team time to use their facility to
practice using the ROV. To see more about the
theme and the competition go to the following link:
http://newfoundlandlabrador.marinetech2.org/
Robotics club for the Grade 6 students will continue
until the later part of May. Throughout the sessions
students have been progressing very well with
learning how to program and design their own NXT
robot. They have also had opportunity to be using
touch and ultra-sonic sensors with the NXT. The
next step will be for the students to begin using a
First Lego League mission mat allowing them to
learn how to program the NXT to complete a
task/mission.
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Hopefully, the sessions have given students the
opportunity to build on problem solving skills while
learning about science and technology. If students
would like to continue with learning about using the
NXT then next September they will have a chance
to sign up for the grade 7 & 8 group. At this time
they could be selected to participate in a FLL
competition against other schools.
Provincial Skills Challenge 2014
Villanova students have continued success at the
Provincial Skills held on April 4th at the College of
the North Atlantic. In the 3D Animation category
Haley Martin & Keagan Dalley won Gold, Megan
Coles won Gold in Workplace Safety, and Leah
Hewitt won a Silver medal in the CDBC (The Pitch).
Elizabeth Blake who competed in the Public
Speaking category did not place, but had a very
good showing against a strong group of High
School students. The Gold medal winners Haley
Martin, Keagan Dalley, and Megan Coles are now
off to the 20th Annual Skills Canada National
Competition at the International Centre in Toronto,
Ontario from Tuesday, June 3rd – Saturday, June
7th. They will be part of Team Newfoundland
representing our province. Leah Hewitt has been
selected to go as an ambassador for the CDBC
pitch category as this event is not a competition
event at the Nationals. One of our teachers has
also been given the opportunity to attend the
National Skills Competition. Darlene Moulton will
travel with the Newfoundland contingent as a
chaperone.
Let’s Talk Science Challenge
Twenty students (five teams) participated in the
Let’s Talk Science Challenge at Memorial
University, on April 29th. The Dream Team which
consisted of Joel Lane, Andrew Hadfield, Kyle
Peyton and Alex King were awarded the silver
medal. A list of all those who participated and
pictures from that day can be seen on the school
website. It was an amazing day of fun and
learning.
Band News Mr. Follett
Congratulations to the VRB IX on their fine
performance on the last day of school before
Easter break. The students performed an
acoustic version of Serena Ryder’s Stompa in
the main lobby as students exited. This is the
second year the group has performed on this
occasion. A new Villanova tradition!
push from all band members will help us pull
off a great performance to end our year. Please
make an extra effort to attend all rehearsals
leading up to the concert as well.
Music in May Ms. Gillingham
Congratulations to the Grade 6 Choir, Jenna
Rideout, Grace Myles, Logan Niblock, Maria
McGann, Jenna Legge, Laura Kieley, Jacob
Barrett-Brazil, Shea Kieley, Mackenzie Mitchell,
Logan Millard and Grace Smith on their wonderful
performance at their DARE graduation and
Celebration of the Arts on April 10, 2014.
The Next Grade 6 performance will be the June
Talent Show. Stay tuned for more details!!
SPRING CONCERT INFORMATION
SAVE THE DATE: May 15, 2014
The Grade 5 Choir and Year One band will be
performing the year end demonstration concert on
Thursday May 15, 2014. This concert will begin at
6:30 in the school gymnasium and should run
approximately 45 minutes. Details and ticket
information was sent home on Wednesday April 30.
Please read the information, complete the ticket
form and return it beginning May 5.
SPRING CONCERT INFORMATION
SAVE THE DATE: May 15, 2014
Junior High Glee will be performing their year end
concert on Thursday, May 15, 2014, combined with
the Senior Band. This concert will begin at 7:45 at
Villanova Junior High School gymnasium. Details
and ticket information was sent home on
Wednesday, April 30. Please read the information,
complete the ticket for and return it beginning May
5.
Media Club – Mr. Follett
The members of our media club have been working
diligently to complete their news features for the
next edition of Viper News. The episode is
scheduled to debut before the end of May.
The members of our media club will be visiting the
CBC studios in St. John’s in early June to get a
firsthand look at how a professional newscast is
produced.
Jr. High Baseball Team Mr. Cameron
Tryouts for the Villanova Jr. High baseball team will
be taking place in early May. This is for students in
grade 7-9. The tryout schedule is not known at this
time. Students must listen to the daily
announcements for further updates about tryout
times and locations.
Ultimate Frisbee Ms. Lundrigan
All Senior and Year One Band members
should be putting in some extra practice in
preparation for our spring concert on May 15.
The parts are coming along but a little extra
Our ultimate team will continue with practices and
scrimmage games throughout the month of May.
Please listen to the announcements for more
details and times. Unfortunately, we could not
enter a team in the Jr. High tournament hosted by
the NLUA (Newfoundland and Labrador Ultimate
Association) which will be held in May in St. John’s.
Our team was not able to meet the male to female
ratio as required by the association. For additional
information, please contact Ms. Lundrigan at
hubertalundrigan@esdnl.ca.
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Volleyball
2013-2014 School Year Book
Grade 7 Girls Volleyball Team: The girls won
bronze at the Holy Trinity Golden Ball
Championship on April 11-12. It was a very
competitive tournament, and the team performed
very well! It's been a busy and successful year for
the team, competing in seven tournaments winning one gold, two silver, and three bronze. The
team will continue to practice until early June, when
they will compete in their final tournament for the
year. Special thanks to coaches Dean Rowsell and
Carly Gamberg-Baldwin. Below is a picture of the
girls with their medals. Great job girls!
Throughout the school year there have been a
variety of activities and events that have taken
place in our school. All of these memories have
been captured on camera and will be compiled into
a yearbook. Some of the pages in the yearbook
will include pictures of each homeroom, teams,
clubs, field trips and candid shots around the
school. Purchasing a yearbook will ensure that all
the fun we have had this year at Villanova Junior
High will be remembered forever. Your child can
purchase this 32 page color yearbook for $15.00
from Thursday, May 22nd, to Thursday May 29th.
Yearbooks can be paid for by cash or by cheque
made payable to Villanova Junior High. Each
morning homeroom teachers will collect yearbook
orders. A receipt will be given to the student.
Please ensure your child keeps this receipt until
yearbooks are received next fall.
The yearbook is sure to be a reflection of the
wonderful year we have had at Villanova Junior
High! If you have any questions please e-mail Ms.
Corbett (lisacorbett@esdnl.ca) or Ms. Campbell
(katherinecampbell@esdnl.ca).
Dates to Remember:
May 1 & 2:
MATE ROV Competition
May 2 - 3:
Regional Grade 8 Heritage
Fair.
May 5 - 15:
Annual Frank Roberts
Hockey Tournament.
May 6:
Quebec Trip Final Meeting
for parents and students.
May 9th:
Annual School Hockey Game
at Robert French Stadium
May 12:
Kiwanis Gr. 6 Spelling Bee
May 13:
French Speak-offs
May 15:
Spring Concerts
May 19:
Victoria Day Holiday – No
School
May 20 – 24:
Grade 8 Quebec Trip
May 22 – 29:
Year Book Ordering
May 24:
Provincial Cheerleading
Competitions
May 27:
Elementary Oratorical
May 29:
Grade 8 Farewell
May 30:
Teacher PD Day
May 30:
Volunteer Breakfast
Hockey Mr. Jenkins, Mr. Walsh & Mr. Whelan
Our team will be participating in the Annual Frank
Roberts Hockey Tournament from May 5 – May 15.
There are 12 teams entered in the tournament. We
will play St. Kevin’s Jr. High May 5 @ 7:00 pm; On
May 7 we will play Leary’s Brook Jr. High @ 6:00
pm. On May 8 we will play St. Paul’s Jr. High @
7:00 pm. On May 9 we play Frank Roberts @
12:30 pm. Grade 7 & 8 will have the opportunity to
attend this game, a permission slip was sent home
after the Easter Break an is due back on Monday
May 5th. Our final game in the round robin will be
on Monday, May 12 against St. Peter’s Jr. High.
Playoffs will start on Wednesday, May 14, the
championship game will be on Thursday, May 15.
We will announce our placement and game times
after the round robin. We wish our team the best of
luck for a fun and exciting tournament.
Cheerleading Ms. Ball
Well it will soon be go-time for the VJH
cheerleaders! The event we have practiced all year
for is this month! The NLCA Provincials are
Saturday, May 24th, at the North East Avalon
Arena in Torbay. As of the date of this newsletter,
we do not have all the details except that the junior
high competition will be in the afternoon and that
the spectator fee is $10. Details will be e-mailed to
parents and athletes as soon as they are available.
There will be a 20 minute run through on the
competition floor the Friday before competition.
However again we do not have the details as of
right now. Attendance is mandatory for all practices
times unless under special circumstances. A
calendar of practices times leading up to the
Provincials will be sent home once extra practice
times have been set. Go Vipers!!
If you have any questions or concerns relating
to any items on this newsletter or any other
items please contact, via e-mail:
Mr. Jenkins, barryjenkins@esdnl.ca
or Ms. Tilley, carolyntilley@esdnl.ca
or by telephone at 834-3916.
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More Pictures from Clara’s Big Ride
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