École St. Matthew's School Gazette

We are happy to share with our school family the many wonderful happenings from the month-that-was, as well as a look forward to all that's to come. There is much to warm hearts and motivate minds during a frosty February at École St. Matthew's School.

Here's to a great month of learning and laughter together,

Charmayne & Allison

Charmayne Rumbolt, Principal

Allison North, Assistant Principal

School Development Surveys are conducted annually to gather feedback from students, staff, and parents/guardians to inform the school development process. The survey results will be provided to your child’s school and used with other data to identify the school’s strengths and challenges. Your child’s school will then create and implement a plan to build on successes and address areas of challenge.

The survey is anonymous, which means that we cannot connect your survey responses to you. We encourage everyone to participate so that we have the most accurate representation of family perceptions at your school.

The Family Survey will be available on February 5th , 2024. Please complete the survey by March 15th, 2024 by clicking on the following link: https://www.research.net/r/SDFamily2324EN. If you do not have internet access contact your school.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the school development surveys, please contact:

• Allan Johnson at 709-729-7831 or allanjohnson@gov.nl.ca or
• Patricia Emberley at 709-729-6850 or patriciaemberley@gov.nl.ca

Thank you for your participation and for being a valued member of your school community.

All of us here at ÉSMS want to offer our sincere thanks and gratitude to Mr. O'Keefe, our amazingly responsive, kind and compassionate Guidance Counsellor next week which is Canadian School Counselling Week. Mr. O'Keefe is always there to lend a hand, offer support, and keep each patron of our building safe and honored. Thank you Mr. O'Keefe!

Thanks to all students and staff for supporting our last Silly Squad. We raised $131 for The Gathering Place!

Our next Silly Squad will take place on Wednesday 14 February. We will celebrate love and friendship by inviting students and staff to wear red/pink/white or Valentines theme.

We will spread our love to animals in need, by donating any spare change to local animal shelters.

If you can contribute these recycled items it would be great!

• Cardboard tubes from paper towels and wrapping paper and tissue boxes, egg cartons
• Old fabric and leftover yarn.
• Clean styrofoam meat trays
• Number 6 clear plastic salad containers
• Yogurt tubs
• Legos, Kinex, building blocks, gears.
• Old technology (VCRs, calculators, etc.)
• Old toys with motors, moving parts or blinking lights.
• Straws, plastic water or soda bottles, plastic spoons, pool noodles

As a result of the wonderful support of our Scholastic Book Fair by our entire school community, our classrooms will soon receive resources funded by Book Fair rewards. Many thanks to all!

We will engage in class-lead activities to recognize Pink Shirt Day on Wednesday, February 28. We will join our students - and those throughout the province, across the country, and around the world - in creating a sea of pink as a symbol of our shared vision for a world that is free of bullying and gender-based stereotypes. Students may feel free to wear a pink shirt or accessory as a symbol of their support of this message.

We were delighted to welcome our 2023-2024 KinderStart families to our 2nd Kinderstart session today. Our THIRD KinderStart session will take place on Friday 23 February. As a result, there will be no classes for Kindergarten students that day.

School lunch ordering for February closed on Wednesday, January 17. If you missed out on the orders for February, you can still register and place an order for March when ordering opens on Tuesday, February 13. Registration is available online only and is required to order meals. To register please visit https://schoollunch.ca/. We also ask that you attempt to select menu options that your child will eat to reduce food wastage.

You can also access the ordering calendar HERE.

Registration for the Late French Immersion (LFI) program in the Avalon area will be conducted during the week of February 12th, 2024 for elementary schools where applicable.

Late French Immersion is intended for students who are interested in developing fluency in the French language. Any student who has completed Grade 6 can register for the Late French Immersion Program. This is an intensive immersion program beginning in Grade 7 where approximately 75% of the curriculum is taught using French as the language of instruction. This decreases to a minimum of 30% as students enter senior high school. Late French Immersion is a six-year program from Grade 7 to Grade 12. Please note that a student accepted into the LFI program is expected to make a minimum one year commitment to the program in the Grade 7 year.

See the memo attached below for all the information you require.

In anticipation of the removal of the 1.6 km for the upcoming school year, NLSchools is seeking qualified drivers to join our school teams. Check out the recruitment materials below.

Our 2023-2024 School Council looks forward to working in partnership with all members of our school community to ensure engagement and learning for all.

A list of current council members, together with meeting minutes and upcoming meeting dates can be found on our ÉSMS website. Should a member of the school community wish to attend a Council meeting to speak to a particular matter, please send along a note to charmaynerumbolt@nlschools.ca including name and topic for discussion. This information will then be forwarded to Council Chair John Cowan for inclusion in the next meeting agenda.

The next meeting of the ÉSMS School Council will take place on February 21, 2024 at 5:30 pm.

Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week:

The 2024 Teacher/ Staff Appreciation Week will be held February 11-17.

Teachers and our school staff have some of the most difficult jobs. They are there for our children day in and day out, often under trying circumstances and with less than adequate resources and support. Their professionalism, dedication, and expertise form the cornerstone of our nation’s public education system.

Without the hard work of teachers, Canadian scientists, artists, and political and business leaders would not be among the best in the world.

Many education leaders suggest that the most effective way to improve education in this country is to give teachers the status, support, and recognition they genuinely deserve. Recognizing our teachers and school staff, for all they do, does not need to be time-consuming, expensive, or reserved for one special week during the year. One of the greatest ways a parent can show their appreciation, to those who work in our schools, is by being actively involved in their child’s education all year long. Parents should establish a good working relationship with teachers/school staff early in the school year.

From February11-17 be sure to tell teachers and our school staff how much you appreciate who they are and what they do. If you would like to contribute to efforts to recognize our teachers and staff, please reach out to one of your ÉSMS School Council members.

First Shift Spring 2024

firstshift.ca

ÉSMS students come play hockey with us! Space is filling up!

First Shift Hockey 2024 is an awesome program to give hockey a try! Registration will fill up quickly so don’t miss out! We will be hosting a female only program and a co-ed program this year. St. John’s Minor Hockey Association (SJMHA) will be hosting an NHL/NHLPA First Shift which will be open to girls ages 6-10*, who have not previously registered for hockey.

PARTICIPANT REGISTRATION FEE INCLUDES:

• BAUER Equipment (Head-to-Toe)

• Welcome Event which includes an equipment fitting demonstration and expert fit session where each participant receives their equipment

PROGRAM CAPACITY

• 30 Female only participants and 30 Co-Ed Participants

ON-ICE EXPERIENCE

• 6 Weeks, 1 session/week, 1 hour on a consistent day and time

• Focus on Fun and Learn to Play

• Registration open to St. John’s Minor Hockey assigned schools now

For registration info please contact Tanya Schwartz at capsfirstshift@icloud.com and let her know the school you are attending.

Please find below the program of French activities for children of various ages up to 13 years old that will take place in January at the A.C. Hunter Library. These activities are free and may be of interest to students (see the ages indicated on the programs) in French Immersion or Core French.

The Beaconsfield Junior High Choir is travelling to Toronto, Ontario in May to perform at MusicFest Canada. Please consider supporting their fundraising endeavors to raise funds to cover the costs associated with this wonderful opportunity. The BJHS Choir appreciates any support that the greater Waterford Valley School Feeder System can provide.

It was a busy, snowy January filled with so many fun times in our Kindergarten classroom with Ms. Ryan and all our friends! We made squid hats in the MakerSpace, listened to read alouds with Mrs. Sheppard and we went outside almost every day playing on the ice and in the snow.

Look how long our shadows are! We are wondering if the groundhog will see its shadow on February 2! What do you predict?!

♥

Our LRC activities this month included building with cotton ball launchers, paddle boats, sealskin earrings, building with magnetic parts and spatial and strategy games like Perfection and Connect 4.

Wintry weather is upon us, so it is very important that your child is prepared for outside learning and wellness each day as we will continue to go outside for movement breaks and learning as the seasons change. We ask that you encourage your child to check our Lost & Found if they are missing items, and to keep a spare pair of socks in their backpacks should their boots fill with snow while outside.

Wednesday 07 February

World Read Aloud Day

Thursday 08 February

Ministerial Professional Learning Day; No Classes for Students

Tuesday 13 February

School Lunch for March Ordering opens online

Friday 23 February

KinderStart Session #3; No Classes for Kindergarten Students

Wednesday 28 February

Pink Shirt Day

Monday 04 March

Staff Professional Learning & Reporting Day: No Classes for Students

Friday 15 March

Term II Reports Released

Monday 18 March - Friday 22 March

Education/Literacy Week

Thursday 21 March

Term II Home-School Conferences: Dismissal Begins at 11:15 am

Friday 22 March

KinderStart Session #4; No Classes for Kindergarten Students

Thursday 28 March

Last Day of School Prior to Easter Break

Monday 08 April

School Reopens Following Easter Break

Friday 17 May

Staff Professional Learning Day: No Classes for Students

Monday 20 May

Victoria Day Holiday

Thursday 20 June

Last Day of School for Students; Term III Reports Released