Gonzaga Memo to Families

Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week is celebrated this year from February 9 to 15th. Members of the School Council and the Student Council would like to ask that you email our student council representative, Orpa Hawlader, at ohawlader21_s@nlesd.ca if you would like to contribute to the teacher appreciation week initiatives.

Our teachers and staff are a huge part of what makes Gonzaga a great place to be. Please take a few moments to do one small act that week to show our Gonzaga Viking teachers and staff how much our school community truly appreciates what they do each and every day.

The Gonzaga High School administration team will be holding an in-person session for parents on Tuesday, February 11th at 6:30 PM - 7:30 PM at Gonzaga. During this meeting, they will go through the Level 1 course selection presentation/process for 2025-2026 and allow time at the end for anyone who would like to ask questions. If any other parent of a current Gonzaga student is unfamiliar with the course selection process, they are also welcome to attend this information session.

The Gonzaga administration will also speak with the current Grade 9 students at MacDonald Drive Junior High School earlier on Tuesday, February 11th, 2025. Please see the memo below.

Please see the memo below:

Memo to Grade 9 Parents

This week celebrates Canadian School Counselling Week. We would like to wish Mrs. Tracy Gardiner, Ms. Catherine Rose-Jackman and Ms. Catherine Tansley a very happy Canadian School Counselling Week! These people are a huge part of what makes Gonzaga a great place to be and we are lucky to have their expertise and dedication.

There will be a Professional Learning Day for teachers on Thursday, February 20th, 2025. There will be no school for students that day. Students will return after the long weekend on Tuesday, February, 25, 2025.

Gonzaga High School will be holding its 43rd Annual Ocean Ranger Memorial Service. The service will be held at The Basilica of St. John the Baptist on Wednesday, February 12, 2025 starting at 1:00 PM.

All students will be bussed to and from the Basilica at no charge to families. Students are not permitted to drive their own vehicles. All students will need a signed permission form to attend. Parents are required to complete the permission form through Rycor on your PowerSchool Parent portal. You will find the permission form under the heading Fees and Forms on the left hand side of your screen. Paper copies of the permission form are available at the office for those who require one.

Permission forms were due today, Friday, February 7th at 12:00 pm in order for buses to be ordered and other arrangements made. However, we are giving families until Monday, February 10th at 3:00 pm to complete the permission form on Rycor. If a student does not have a completed permission form submitted on Monday February 12th, they will not be permitted to leave school grounds and will remain at school and watch the service virtually. This is a long standing tradition for our school community and we hope and expect that all students attend. A link to view the service is below:

https://www.thebasilica.net/live/

Please read the following information regarding the French DELF exams. Those students interested in writing the DELF exam this year, please speak to their French teacher. Registration will not be possible after March 12th and students cannot write the exam if they have not registered. The April DELF session is the only examination session available to students this year.

NLSchools is seeking Input on Proposed Changes to Grades 7-9 Program of Studies to improve educational experiences and outcomes in our province. Please see the following memo for more information.

Level 1 (Grade 10) students can apply for a bursary to attend a 4-week summer program in Quebec at College Saint-Charles Garnier (Laval Campus), Quebec City. The Level 1 program is open to all Grade 10 students regardless of their level of French (beginner to advanced). Bursaries are paid directly to the institutions and cover the cost of tuition, room and board, instructional materials and all compulsory activities.

Application deadline: February 10, 2025

New to the Adventure Program for Summer 2025:

• To submit your application for the Adventure bursary, please use the following Google link. You must use your school email to access and submit the form.
• For additional details about the program, including eligibility requirements and the application, recommendation, and selection processes, please consult this document.
• If the student is selected for the bursary, the student or their parent/guardian will be required to pay a registration fee of $125 to the host institution. This fee, however, is refundable subject to specific conditions.

Gonzaga’s Student Council will be hosting a Wake-a-Thon on Friday, March 7th, 2025. Students must arrive between 7:00 pm to 7:30 pm, at which time the doors will close and no other students will be allowed in. The event will continue throughout the night ending at 6:30 am on Saturday, March 8th. Pickup time is between 6:30 am - 7:00 am, all students must be picked up, by a parent or guardian, before 7:00 am.

STUDENTS WILL NOT BE PERMITTED TO DRIVE HOME AND MUST BE PICKED UP BY A PARENT OR GUARDIAN.

Please note all backpack/bags/purses/coats will be checked upon arrival and then will be locked in a secured room.

Between 7:00 pm - 6:30 am there will be various student run activities such as painting, crafts, gaming rooms, UV dance and more. Outside vendors have also been booked for various activities.

Food, snacks and drinks will be served throughout the night.

There is a non refundable $40.00 fee to attend this event. If there are not enough students who sign up by Monday, February 10th at 11:59 pm, this event will be canceled and refunds will be provided. Please sign up and pay on Rycor.

M.U.N. has been made aware that their emails are not always reaching our students’ inboxes and sometimes are being directed to their junk mail. If your child is aware of students who have applied to Memorial but have not received any correspondence from them regarding their application, please encourage them to email admissions@mun.ca and they will look into the matter. To ensure you, and any students who have applied to Memorial, receive emails from them please add @mun.ca to your safe sender list and check your junk mailbox regularly.

On Tuesday, Feb. 11th and Wednesday, Feb. 12th students, parents/guardians in the St. John's metro area are invited to MUN’s annual information session and booth fair in the Core Science Facility on the St. John's campus.

Starting at 6 p.m. each night, check out the booth fair representing their faculties, schools and student support units across campus. At 7 p.m. join them for a next steps presentation and stick around for a student panel with current students to learn about their time at Memorial.

Free parking will be available in the parking garage (area 27), directly across from the venue.

Further details are available on their website.

The Scholarships and Awards Office is now accepting applications for the 2025-26 Harrison McCain Foundation Scholarship. Several scholarships will be awarded at Memorial University for the 2025-26 academic year. Each scholarship is valued at $16,000 ($4,000 per year for up to four years). For further details, read this letter from Tracey Wall, Manager, Scholarships and Awards.

The fall 2025 application for admission for Memorial University of Newfoundland is open. Students can apply online through the admissions portal. If students have already applied remind them to check their inbox for early acceptance offers.

Our Gonzaga Community is happy to note that the PUPS 2025 team is hard at work again this year. We are still accepting gently used prom dresses, suits and shoes. We are also accepting prom-style jewelry and purses. The volunteer team has been working hard collecting, cleaning, repairing and organizing our current stock. If you have any items, please drop them off at the main office Gonzaga.

Our first Pop Up Prom Shop is set to open at Gonzaga on Monday, February 17, 2025. A full 2 weeks before we open to every high school in the province!

Community Pop Up (CPU) Prom Shops :

TIME: 12:00PM - 3:00PM

CPU #1: Saturday, March 1, 2025 (Alterations accepted)

CPU #2: Saturday, March 22, 2025 (Alterations accepted)

CPU #3: Saturday, April 12, 2025 (No alterations accepted)

We can accept alterations during the first 2 CPU’s but not at or after the 3rd CPU.

All items will be removed from Gonzaga and stored until next year Thursday, April 17th, 2025.

Planning for the 2025 Gonzaga School Leaving Event for our level 3 students is well underway! The following are the details for the event:

Date: Saturday, June 7th, 2025

Venue: Sheraton Hotel Newfoundland

Time: 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm - Meet and Greet for all graduates, friends and family for various photo opportunities

6:30 pm -10:00 pm - Graduates and dates only will enter the ballroom for buffet style food; photo opportunities; dance; etc…more details to follow on the specifics.

Price: $125.00 per graduate/date

Any parent who did not complete the google form back in the fall to indicate that they would like to help out with the decorating committee can contact Gillian Browne at gillianbrowne@nlschools.ca.

Join our Team!

“Valiant Vikings 2025”

The Coldest Night of the Year is an annual, fun, family-friendly fundraising walk that supports local charity partners. We will be entering a student and staff team this year on Saturday, February 22, 2025! If you are interested in becoming a part of this team please see Mrs. Gardiner in the guidance office. You can receive up to 15 volunteer hours for this initiative.

We would like to thank you for your continued support and if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the administrative team.

Have a great weekend,

Andrew, Gillian & Peter