Parent Newsletter
Macdonald Drive Junior High, May 2019
Macdonald Drive Junior High
Email: mdjh@nlesd.ca
Website: mdjh.info
Location: 110 Macdonald Drive, St. John's, NL, Canada
Phone: 709-753-8240
Twitter: @mdjh
Dates to Remember
- May 16 - Grade 9 Carnival
- May 17 - PD Day
- May 20 - Victoria Day Holiday
- June 1 - School Grounds Cleanup Day
- June 5 - Spring Concert
- June 27 - Last day of school
What's been going on...
Mental Health Awareness Week
Public Speaking
On Wednesday, May 8, the English department held its annual grade 9 Public Speaking contest in the cafeteria. Students presented on a host of wonderful topics ranging from anxiety to rap music. It was a wonderful, entertaining period for all listeners. The judges, Ms. Pike, Ms. Watton, and Ms. Power, had a challenging decision to make.
The winners are:
- In third place, we had a tie with Maggie Carew and Ahmed Shehata.
- In second place, Nicholas Cummings.
- In first place, the person who will be representing our school at the District Speaking Event on May 15 is...Rachel Dawe of 9-4!
Congratulations to everyone who participated and to the great listeners in our audience. Please note that all winners will receive a monetary award at the year-end assembly.
Macbeth - The Scottish play lives on at MDJH!
As a part of a drama unit in English Language Arts, the grade 7-2 class decided to present an abridged version of Macbeth. They received the scripts, reviewed them, auditioned, and then practiced it all over and over. Eventually, they performed for Ms. Pike, Ms. Hardy, Ms. Watton, and Ms. Ward. Everyone had a role whether it was on the stage or behind the scenes. It was a great way to end classes on April 18! A wonderful time was had by all. Mrs. Mills and Ms. Bartlett were very proud of all their students.
Children's Wish MDJH- We Create Change!
As of May 1, we are half way to our goal of $10,000 to grant a Wish for the Children's Wish Foundation! We have raised these funds in less than a year! Thank you very much to all those who have contributed so far, but we still need your help!
We have been busy at MDJH! We dyed Mr. West's hair pink, shaved his head, and pied him in the face! Mr. Tarrant has worn a pink tutu for the day and Mr. Porter loves Crocs so we designed a special pair of duck shoes for him to support our cause.
We hope to grant a Wish by the end of June! Not only are we excited about granting a Wish, we are also excited about becoming the first junior high in metro St. John's to do this and become designated a "Children's Wish School"! We are hoping to have the funds by June, and once we reach our goal, there will be a ceremony in our gym when we will grant the Wish and a banner will proudly be displayed on the front doors of our school! Our whole school community will be invited to attend this very worthwhile event!
We are asking everyone to help us with this endeavor. Please donate! There is nothing more rewarding than granting a child their Wish. Wishes have been as simple as viewing an aircraft, or as elaborate as a trip to Florida. For some children, this Wish is a powerful motivator for getting through treatment, so please donate - every cent helps!
Tax receipts are available for donations above $20 and please make cheques payable to Children's Wish MDJH. The Children's Wish Foundation will then issue a receipt to your home address so be sure and include the correct address. For any questions, please contact Mme Stacey at 753-8240.
Thank you and we hope to see you all at our Wish granting ceremony in June!
Robotics
The MDJH ROV team had a great year at the MATE International, NL regional competition, which took place at the Marine Institute’s School of Ocean Technology, on Friday, May 3. The team members: Miller Tulk, Vincent Burton, Beth Whalen, Jacob Critch, Saleh Abdel Rahim, Kaitlin Healey, Keegan Riggs, Ahmad Saady, Emma Penny, Brendan Booth, and Benjamin Versteeg, participated on competition day, under the guidance of Mr. Caleb Thorne, Mr. Phil Smith, and Mr. Tim Mehaney.
The group had to come up with a company name and decided to follow their predecessors’ ORTAD “Ocean Research Technology and Design”, for this year’s theme: “Innovations for Inshore: ROV Operations in Rivers, Lakes, and Dams”, and named the ROV appropriately: ORTAD VII.
The ROV, piloted by Kaitlin Healey was one of the fastest machines at the competition, earning the Most Maneuverable Award. This year’s machine also scored very well for the MDJH crew, who just missed the podium out of 21 teams, scoring 110 out of a possible 160 on its third heat! The score could have been 155, but in the nail-biter of a finish, the ROV dropped an item when it surfaced, costing precious points.
Macdonald Drive robotics begins another exciting season in September.
Duke of Edinburgh Hike
Talking Circles: A Relationships-First, Restorative Justice Education Practice
“I love Circles” (Liam Oakley (8-4); Izabella O’Leary (8-8); Christian Cooper (8-8) and “Circles are the best thing about this class” (Josh Shallow 8-8) are some of the positive comments that are being made by students. Since the beginning of the year, students in home economics have been opening the first five to ten minutes of their classes with “Talking Circles” to build class community and a sense of belonging.
Students are invited to sit in a circle with a facilitator (“circle keeper”) who suggests some basic guidelines and asks participants if they can commit to following these directions. The facilitator will then invite them to add any other guidelines that will help everyone to be their “best selves”. Next, an open-ended question or topic is presented, and participants pass around a “talking piece” which regulates the dialogue by determining who speaks and when. Whoever is holding this object at a given time is invited to share, pass, or hold it for a time of quietness.
Such an approach to sharing ideas allows students to build connections with each other, practice respectful listening, and develop understanding and empathy for others in the classroom community. Talking Circles, a Relationships First Restorative Justice Education (RF-RJE) practice, which is currently been used in various subject areas within many schools in the district (https://sites.google.com/nlesd.ca/program-matters/june-2018/talking-cirauthuser=1) creates a safe space and an opportunity for all voices to be heard. Circles can be used for a variety of purposes in a classroom setting: to check-in with each other, to problem solve a classroom issue, to celebrate success, to engage in curriculum, etc.
Since RF-RJE fosters a just and equitable learning environment, it informs and supports other aspects of teaching and learning such as social-emotional learning, mental health and well-being, inclusive education, positive behavior supports, trauma-informed practice, bully prevention, multi-cultural education, increased achievement levels and student engagement (Relationships First Implementation Guide, 2018, pg.12).
Many students at MDJH have responded enthusiastically to the implementation of circles. A common question that is often heard from students is: “Can we do another question?” The following video, “Restorative Practices” can provide a better understanding of how Talking Circles are implemented in classrooms and the benefits of using such an approach: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oby3a-Rfkxs.
What is coming up...
Farewell Carnival
We are looking forward to seeing all of our grade 9 students at the carnival as it will be one of the last times to come together as the senior class of MDJH. The cost is $20 per student and students are asked to dress casually. We are also looking for donations of gift cards to give to students, so if you can help, please contact the school. mdjh@nlesd.ca or (709)753-8240.
Baby Pictures wanted for Grade 9 School Leaving Carnival
One of the highlights of the Grade 9 School Leaving Carnival is the baby picture slideshow. Any Grade 9 student who wants to be included in this slideshow must send their baby picture to Ms. Quann. Please email ONE picture only to colettequann@nlesd.ca or you can drop it off at the school. If you are going to drop off a copy, be sure to put it in an envelope and include the student name and homeroom on the envelope so we can return your photo. The deadline for submission of photos is Monday, May 13.
Final Exam Schedule 2019
REGULATIONS:
1. All exams are 2 hours. STUDENTS MUST STAY FOR THE ENTIRE TWO HOURS. Students who need extra time will be given 10 MINUTES EXTRA PER HOUR.
2. Students are allowed to bring ONLY their writing utensils and calculator into the exam room. Paper will be provided. Pencil cases, paper, books and cell phones will NOT be permitted. Students are encouraged to use clear plastic zip lock bags for their writing utensils. Students may bring unrelated fiction reading material to occupy their time until the exam is over.
3. Calculators must be cleared before the exam.
4. Once the exam begins, students will NOT be permitted to leave the room. If there is a bathroom emergency, supervising teachers MUST buzz the office so the student can be accompanied to the washroom.
5. If a student misses a final exam, medical certification MUST be provided. A parent/ guardian note will not be accepted.
6. Bussing will run in the AM and PM as per normal schedule. If a student plans to leave after their exam, a parent/guardian note MUST be provided to the homeroom teacher giving permission.
MDJH Music
Rotary Music Festival and Spring Concert Update
Congratulations to our students who participated in the Rotary Music Festival. We are so proud of their performances which were well received by the festival adjudicators. Bravo!
And!
Our Spring Concert will take place on Wednesday, June 5 in the school gymnasium. This year we are pleased to present an 80's themed show! Fast pass tickets go on sale May 29 at the school office. Tickets are $5.00 each.
MDJH Sports
Ultimate Frisbee
Grade 7 Boys Basketball
Grade 7 Boys Basketball
Summer Soccer Program
Each summer the St. John’s Soccer Club offers a recreational House League program. In 2014, the St. John’s Soccer Club took over the responsibility for delivering this community soccer program from the City of St. John’s Department of Recreation. The House league program is committed to providing a rewarding and enjoyable soccer experience for all participants regardless of ability or experience. The St. John’s Soccer Club offers a Micro Program for children under 4 - under 6 that runs on weekday afternoons and an evening program for children Under 7 – Under 15. There is financial assistance through Kid Sport NL for those who qualify. For more details on program information, please visit www.sjsoccer.ca or contact 576-8041.
Student Council News
Canadian Student Leadership Conference 2019
Yearbooks
Yearbook Pictures
Celebrating Student's Successes
Photography Club
Macdonald Drive Junior High
Our background picture is by Silvi Ivardi.
Email: mdjh@nlesd.ca
Website: mdjh.info
Location: 110 Macdonald Drive, St. John's, NL, Canada
Phone: 709-753-8240
Twitter: @mdjh