Gonzaga Memo to Families

Report cards were release electronically at 3:00 pm today, November 15th.

Parent-Teacher interviews will be held on Thursday, November 21st from 1:00-6:30 pm with a common break for all teachers from 3:30-4:00 pm. OPTIS will be available for the booking of appointments from Friday, November 15th at 3:00 pm until noon on Wednesday, November 20th. Students will be dismissed at 11:30 am on Thursday, November 21st .

We are encouraging in-person conferences as much as possible. If in-person meetings are not possible, parents/guardians will be able to book either virtually or by phone. The default for all bookings is in-person. Please be sure to select the proper method for your meeting. OPTIS is now open for guardians to login or create their accounts.

If you do not have an OPTIS account you can register beginning today.

If you have any questions, please use the help menu located in the top right corner. When the Help section appears, click on parents and you should be able to find an answer to your question.

If you have selected a video interview and do not have the link, please login to OPTIS and click “email me my schedule”. The link to the video conference will be in that email. That link is unique to you. If you share the link and should someone else click on it, you may be bumped from the meeting.

If you have any questions or concerns please email andrewcluney@nlschools.ca.

There will be no school of students on Friday, November 22nd due to our Professional Learning Day. Students will return on Monday, November 25th and it will be Day 1 on the schedule.

There will also be no school on Tuesday, November 26th due to our District School Closeout. Students will return on Wednesday, November 27th and it will be Day 3 on the schedule.

Graduation photos will begin on Monday, November 25th. The schedule of photo times for individual students are located on a poster outside of Mr. Cluney’s office. Any student not on this list or who cannot make it to their assigned time is asked to please see the administration. All students must bring in their $25.00 sitting fee at the time of their appointment. The fee can be paid by cash, cheque, credit or debit. All cheques can be made out to LifeTouch.

Have you heard about the Department of Industry, Energy and Technology’s (IET) RISE Awards?

It is an award program that offers Level II high school students with interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) an opportunity of a lifetime.

IET and the Innovation and Business Investment Corporation recognizes there are incredibly talented and intelligent youth across Newfoundland and Labrador. We want to encourage high school students to pursue research-related education and career paths in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The RISE Awards expose Level II high school student recipients to research activities at an early stage in their education, with an opportunity to attend one of three research-related enrichment programs in Canada and the United States.

How does it work?

Students must submit an application package by 11:59PM December 2nd, 2024 and meet the academic qualifications. A maximum of 20 awards will be given under this program.

Academic Qualification Requirements:

· Must be a current Level II student with:

o Minimum 90% in each course completed in Level I

o Minimum of 8 credits in science and mathematics courses to be completed by the end of Level II

o Additional requirement for Research Science Institute (RSI): Minimum of 12 credits in science and mathematics be completed by the end of Level II

RISE Award winners will attend one of three prestigious research-inspired enrichment programs during the summer of 2023:

· RSI based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

· Da Vinci Engineering Enrichment Program (DEEP) at the University of Toronto

· Boston Leadership Institute (BLI) in Wellesley, Massachusetts

How can I help students apply?

Students must complete an application form, submit a written essay, and provide verification of academic qualifications, as noted in the guidelines.

Application form and guidelines are available online: https://www.gov.nl.ca/iet/sector-diversification-division/innovation-supports/youth-innovation/

Who can I contact?

Angeli Jarvis

Email: angelijarvis@gov.nl.ca

Tel: 709.729.7112

Thank you to those parents who attending out parent meeting last week in the LRC. Any parent who would like to help out in the planning and decorating process on this day, please complete the following form. This committee is for all parents, not just those of the graduating class. In the past, the Grades 10 and 11 parents would step up to help out with the planning and decorating for the graduating class as the Grade 12 parents would be busy with their children on that day.

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