Gonzaga Memo to Families

Gonzaga’s Final Exams for Semester 1 will be taking place from Monday, January 20th, 2025 to Friday, January 24th, 2025. Given the fact that students have the option of rewriting their midterm, each exam could be 2.5 hours in duration. Therefore, regular classes will not continue during this time. However; any and all students are welcome to attend study hall in the LRC throughout the day. A detailed schedule with room locations for each subject can be found here. Any room disruptions will be posted on the classroom doors.

For students requiring accommodations, an individual schedule will be provided directly to them by a member of the Student Support Services team.

Semester 2 will begin on Monday, January 27th and it will be day 4 on the schedule.

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 are due no later than Friday, February 7th at 12:00 pm in order for buses to be ordered and other arrangements made. If a student does not complete the permission form, 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/

Explore is an intensive immersion program which offers students aged 13-15 years and students aged 16+ in this province the opportunity to explore French language and culture through social and travel experiences. Sessions are a life-changing experience for students. For more information on Explore, click HERE.

Application Portal and Deadline

The Application Portal for Explore is open and applications are being accepted. Click here to APPLY NOW.

The deadline for applications is February 4, 2025.

Information Sessions for Students and Parents

Teams sessions have been planned to provide information on the Explore Program. Dates and times are listed below. Information Sessions are open to students and/or their parents.

The dates and times of the sessions in 2025 are as follows :

• Tuesday, January 21, 2025

7:30 pm (Newfoundland Standard Time - NST)

• Tuesday, February 4, 2025

9:00 pm (Newfoundland Standard Time - NST)

You will find these sessions on the Official Languages Programs Facebook Page, under events.

Microsoft Teams Session Access Information:

• Teams Meeting ID: 253 223 378 37
• Passcode: pY3fRQ

More information on the programs is available on the Official Languages Programs Facebook Page. Sessions above are in English only. Additional information sessions are also available in French.

These presentations have been organized by the Explore Program Promotion Agents, in collaboration with the provinces and territories and the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada.

Provincial Summer Programs for Grade 9 and Grade 10 students (Voyage and Adventure)

Please note: In past years, students in Grade 9 and 10 of this province have been able to apply for national programs like Explore, as well as for provincial bursary programs such as Voyage and Adventure. These provincial programs to learn or improve French language and culture are very popular and generate much interest from students and their parents.

While provincial programs will be available for Summer 2025, some changes are anticipated, however, and the application period may be delayed.

Gonzaga has been granted TWEP hours that can be used up until March 31st for current Gonzaga students to avail of tutoring services from post-secondary students. However, we are having difficulty finding enough tutors. If you know of any past Gonzaga students, or any post-secondary students who would like to tutor current Gonzaga students for tuition, please send their contact information to tracyanngardiner@nlschools.ca.

Our Gonzaga Community is happy to note that the PUPS 2025 team is hard at work again this year. We are currently 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. Plans are underway for the first date and time for our for open house for all NL high schools students. If you have any items, please drop them off at the main office Gonzaga.

Please find the following opportunity from the Historic Sites Association for students in grades 7 to Level 3.

From June 27th to July 7th, 2025, the Historic Sites Association of NL and its

partners are taking 100 students from across Newfoundland and Labrador
on the trip of a lifetime. They’ll head to France and Belgium to participate in
a First World War battlefield tour, visiting significant sites where the Royal
Newfoundland Regiment fought. AND they’ll spend time in the five
communities that are home to the Newfoundland Regiment’s bronze caribou

monuments.

The deadline is January 26, 2025. If you have any questions, email atbrand@historicsites.ca or call 709-631-0464. For more information please see here.

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