Middle School Update
August 22, 2024
Upcoming Events
Monday, August 26: PED Day, no classes.
Tuesday, August 27: Orientation day 1 for all Grade 7 students only from 8:30am-2:30pm.
Wednesday, August 28: Orientation day 2 for all Grade 7 students only from 8:30am-2:30pm.
Thursday, August 29: First day of classes for all Grade 7&8 students from 8:10am-2:45pm. Grade 8 orientation is included in the day.
Thursday, August 29: Hockey Town Hall for M13-18 teams in Coristine Hall from 7:30-9pm. RSVP link below.
Friday, August 30: Classes for all Grade 7&8 students from 8:10am-2:45pm. First day of MS phys ed classes.
Monday, September 2: School closed for Labour Day, no classes.
Tuesday, September 3-Friday, September 6: Regular classes for all Grade 7&8 students.
Wednesday, September 4: Gryphon Sale of gently used Selwyn House uniforms and clothing from 7-11am in Rossy Agora.
Thursday, September 5: Welcome Back Coffee Event for Parents at 8:30am. Details below.
Thursday, September 5: Focus after-school homework supervision program begins.
Thurs, Sept 5-Sat, Sept 7: Grade 8-1 Outdoor Ed. Trip “Adrift”. Details below.
Mon, Sept 9-Wed, Sept 11: Grade 8-2 Outdoor Ed. Trip “Adrift”. Details below.
Wednesday, September 11: Spirit Day for families and staff 3:30-5:30pm. Details below.
Thursday, September 12: School Photo Day for Grade K-12 students. Details to follow.
Friday, September 13: Terry Fox Run. Details below.
Monday, September 16: Breakfast service begins for students and staff
Mon, Sept 16-Wed, Sept 18: Grade 8-3 Outdoor Ed. Trip “Adrift”. Details below.
Staggered Start
Tuesday, August 27: Grades 7 students attend orientation day 1 from 8:30am - 2:30pm.
Grade 8 students stay home.
Grade 7 students wear House t-shirt, SHS athletic shorts or pants, athletic shoes and socks.
Bring a backpack, labelled school supplies, and labelled water bottle.
Students participating in Bantam soccer and Cadet football pre-season training can consult with their coaches/schedules for their afternoon practice times starting after 2:30pm.
Wednesday, August 28: Grade 7 students attend orientation day 2 from 8:30am - 2:30pm.
Grade 8 students stay home.
Grade 7 students wear House t-shirt, SHS athletic shorts or pants, athletic shoes and socks.
Bring a backpack, any remaining school supplies (labelled), SHS laptop and charger (received the day before, if taken home), and labelled water bottle.
Students who would like to participate in Grade 7 football this term are asked to meet Coach Faubert after school on August 28 from 2:30-3:15pm in Macaulay gym, to receive their uniform and equipment. Contact Coach Faubert (fauberts@selwyn.ca) if you want to play but can’t attend that meeting.
Students participating in Bantam soccer and Cadet football pre-season training can consult with their coaches/schedules for their afternoon practice times starting after 2:30pm.
Thursday, August 29: All Grade 7&8 students attend for the full day, from 8:10am - 2:45pm.
Regular classes begin.
Grade 7&8 students wear full Selwyn House uniform (and wear or bring their blazer).
Grade 8 students bring all labelled school supplies and labelled water bottle.
Lockers will be assigned to students.
Students participating in Bantam soccer and Cadet football can consult with their coaches/schedules for their afternoon practice times starting after 2:45pm.
Friday, August 30: All Grade 7&8 students attend for the full day, from 8:10am - 2:45pm.
- Regular classes
- Grade 7&8 students wear full Selwyn House uniform (and wear or bring their blazer).
First day of Middle School Phys Ed from 1:30-2:45pm. All students need to have SHS gym clothes and gym shoes at school that day.
Need to Know
Arrival and Dismissal: The Middle School Daily Schedule outlines arrival and dismissal times. Grade 7&8 students use the west entrance of the Lucas building (under the archway at the corner of Cote St. Antoine and Stanton) at arrival and dismissal times each day. The front entrance to the Lucas building (at reception) is reserved for guests and staff. Supervision for MS students inside the school will begin at 8:00am daily.
Pick-Up and Drop-off Traffic: The Traffic Circulation Memo details the student pick-up and drop-off guidelines for Selwyn House, including designated no-parking zones and times for the City of Westmount and Selwyn House.
School Calendar: Our ten-day block class schedule runs from Monday to Friday on Week 1 and Week 2. The weeks are fixed for the year and are noted on the school calendar. The school calendar is continually revised and updated.
COMMUNICATION WITH SELWYN HOUSE:
Weekly Updates: Each Thursday during the school year at approximately 4:30 p.m., Grade 7&8 parents and students will be emailed a “MS Update”. Throughout the year, this Update will keep you informed about upcoming school-wide and MS events, special dress days for students, links to required forms, and more. The Updates and referenced documents are also posted weekly on our website under Academics>Middle School.
Student Email: During the school year, students are expected to check and respond to their school email at least once (but preferably more) each day. Coaches and teachers rely on it!
mySelwyn: This school portal provides parents and students with information on upcoming tests & assignments, homework, grades, athletic schedules, school calendar, student directory, school resources, and more. Once classes begin, mySelwyn will be opened to parents and students for the 2024-25 school year.
Hockey Town Hall: Thursday, August 29, 7:30-9:00pm in Coristine Hall. Parents of hockey players are highly encouraged to attend this event. This information session will discuss the Selwyn House hockey program and lay out expectations for the upcoming season. Please RSVP by clicking the link here to confirm that you will be in attendance.
Grade 8 Outdoor Ed Trip - Adrift: In September each core group of Grade 8 students will participate in this three day, two night flatwater canoeing trip. For thousands of years, rivers and lakes were the highways of North America and many indigenous people traveled long distances by canoe following herds of caribou or gathering beaver pelts along the way. We would like our Selwyn boys to experience a glimpse of this nomadic lifestyle and gain a deeper understanding of the magical life force that rivers and lakes inhabit. Our focus on this trip is being true to others and being true to the world as we drift along supporting our peers and our planet. Consent forms and all the info on packing lists and prep for this trip will be shared next week.
The Selwyn House library is open between 8am and 5pm daily. MS students can use the library as a space to do homework and group projects or socialize and play tabletop games during morning and lunch recesses and after school. Our librarian Ms. Soukhodolskaia can offer research assistance and book suggestions. Students are encouraged to browse and borrow books all year long. Gaming is not permitted at the library.
Breakfast service begins on Monday, September 16: Our kitchen will offer an optional breakfast service of hot and cold food and drink items to all SHS students between 7:15-8:00 a.m. on school days. Student purchases will be logged and billed to corresponding Selwyn House accounts. No cash will be accepted. Throughout the year, on occasions when we cannot offer breakfast service due to special school events in the dining hall, we will notify families on our school calendar or via email.
PVA (Parent Volunteer Association) News:
Welcome Back Tea & Coffee for all Selwyn Parents! Once the boys have started school, please pop by to meet new parents and catch up with current ones in the west courtyard on Thursday, September 5 starting at 8:15 a.m. Tea, coffee, conversation, and some delicious baked goods will be served! All Selwyn House parents are welcome, and we hope to see you there. Look for us under the tent!
Spirit Day!: Let’s celebrate our school spirit! Spirit Day will take place on Wednesday, September 11 from 3:30-5:30. Students, staff and Selwyn House families are all invited to an afternoon of games, activities, prizes, food, entertainment and fun! Have a chance to dunk a teacher in the dunk tank or help your house win at tug of war! Registration is not required. We hope to see you there!
Volunteer Signup: For those of you looking to help out in the 2024-2025 academic year, please take a look at the Parent Volunteer Signup form.
Terry Fox Run - Friday September 13: All Selwyn House students will be participating in the annual Terry Fox Run. Students will attend school in their house t-shirts and Selwyn House athletics wear and should be prepared to run outside regardless of the weather. More information with specific details about fundraising, event timing, and expectations will be sent next week.
Volunteer Opportunity: On Saturday September 7, 2024, The Cedars Cancer Foundation is hosting their annual BDO Cedars CanSupport Dragon Boat Race and they are looking for volunteers. Click here to read more about this event.
Reminders
Visit last week’s “Back To School” Update on our MS Update page for news and action items you may have missed, such as:
Laptop Rental Agreement (for students entering Grade 7 and new-to Grade 8) before August 30
Impact Test (concussion baseline test) before September 1
Hip-hop Dance - email Ms. Beech if your son is interested in joining this arts class.
The Gryphon Sale (of SHS apparel) will be held Wednesday, September 4 from 7:00 - 11:00 a.m. in the Rossy Agora. Gently used uniform donations are always welcome, and can be dropped off during school hours in the bins located just inside the front doors of the Lucas building (at reception).
Homework Supervision for Grades 7&8: This program (we call “Focus”), will be held in a Middle School classroom from 2:50-5:50pm on Monday-Thursday afternoons and from 2:50-4:30pm on Fridays. Students will be able to arrive and begin work at any time during these hours, including after physical education. If your son has difficulty getting his homework done in a timely and conscientious manner, this is a way to offer him some support to begin the year properly. If you are interested in having your son participate, please contact Ms. Beech for more information (fees, etc.). Focus will begin on Thursday, September 5.
Stay Tuned! Next MS Update Thursday, August 29
The August 29 MS Update will be the first Update of the year emailed to all MS students at their selwyn.ca accounts! We will be encouraging them to read it, along with parents, every week!
514-931-9481