Parent Newsletter
Macdonald Drive Junior High, January 2023
Macdonald Drive Junior High
Email: macdonalddrivejrh@nlesd.ca
Website: mdjh.info
Location: 110 Macdonald Drive, St. John's, NL, Canada
Phone: 709-753-8240
Twitter: @mdjh
Dates to remember
Bell Let’s Talk Day - January 27
Teacher PD Day - March 10
Teacher PD Day - March 24
- Last day of school before Easter Vacation - April 6 - Thursday
- First day of school after Easter Vacation - April 17 - Monday
Grade 9 Carnival - Thursday, May 24
Teacher PD Day - May 29
What's Been Going On
Christmas Concert
Congratulations to all the music students who participated in the annual Winter Concert that was held on December 14. It was a fabulous show, and we were very proud of you all!
Coming Up...
Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week
Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week is February 13-17. Our student council would like to ask our school community to show appreciation for the staff of MDJH by providing treats at lunch. As in past years, we would like to have grade levels provide sweet or savoury treats on different days:
- Tuesday, February 14 - Grade 7
- Wednesday, February 15 - Grade 8
- Thursday, February 16 - Grade 9
If you are able to send along a treat, please email colettequann@nlesd.ca.
Spirit Week
Spirit Week at MDJH will be happening from February 20-24. Theme days and activities will be announced (on the website and through announcements) once finalized. Stay tuned for more information.
Pink Shirt Day
Wednesday, February 22, is National Pink Shirt Day. Students and staff are asked to wear pink. Students will be taking part in activities against bullying.
Chess4Charity Tournament
Date: February 4 - 10am-4pm
Registration and Check-in: 10am-10:30am
Rounds will begin at 10:45
Rounds will be made public on the day of the tournament via Google sheets
Tournament Director: Tanish Bhatt
Venue: Gonzaga Gym
Proceeds go to: United4Literacy (non-profit organization dedicated to raising illiteracy in the local and global community - all proceeds will support the education of youth in rural India).
Pre-registration via Google Forms (registration deadline on January 27) - registration fee can be e-transferred to united4literacy@gmail.com or can be payed at the door
Registration Fees
$15 for K-12
$20 for adults (18+)
Boards supplied by Gonzaga Chess Club
Prizes: Medals, certificates will be awarded to top 3 in each category
Click here to access the registration form:
Event Details:
Pairings to work based on grade levels:
K-3 (Primary)
4-6 (Elementary)
7-9 (Junior High)
10-and up (Senior)
In each grade level, there will be either a round-robin or group-stage/playoff system (depending on # of participants)
Volunteers will be required to maintain smooth transitions during the tournament (at least 10-15 volunteer/people required for support - don’t have to be experienced with chess at all). If interested in volunteering, you can sign up here.
Canteen service with snacks will be provided on tournament day
Other Rules:
Players must have an understanding of the rules of chess
Touch-move touch-take: if you touch a piece, you have to move it; if you touch your opponent’s piece, you have to take it
Clocks - all divisions except for primary will be expected to play on clocks (there will be a tutorial before the tournament starts on how to use a clock for players not experienced with using one)
Time control is 25 mins with a 5-second delay
All rules and decisions regarding a dispute between players will be resolved by the adjudicator monitoring the division. If absolutely required, the tournament director will get involved, and will provide a final decision
Recording moves will not be required for this tournament - however, any player who wishes to record their moves can do so at their own interest
Other Info
50th Anniversary - Where are they now?
As part of our 50th Anniversary Year celebrations, our committee is currently working on organizing a spotlight feature of MDJH Alumni. We want to contact MDJH Alumni, so we can highlight the success of our former students. We want to compile a collection of videos, Google Meets and in person presentations. If you are a MDJH alumni or know someone you feel would fit our spotlight section, please reach out to the school. You can contact colettequann@nlesd.ca, sarahcomerford@nlesd.ca, meghangambin@nlesd.ca or jenniferriggs@nlesd.ca.
French Immersion Summer Program 2023
Are you a Grade 9 student interested in improving your French? This may be a great opportunity for you! Applications are now open for the Voyages 2023 program, where selected students will spend three weeks in Quebec at Campus Notre-Dame-De-Foy.
For more information on this opportunity, please click here.
On-line Ukrainian Books & Resources
For our Ukrainian students, it might be hard to find something to read in their first language. Here are some novels that are in Ukrainian that can be read online. There are also links to on-line Ukrainian language libraries. Please note that these resources are all free at the time of this post.
Young Adult Novels
Harry Potter – all seven novels (via Pottermore)
Other novel sites:
Graphic Novels:
Kajko I Kokosz
Kazik’s Africa
Table Top Games:
Call of Cthulhu Quick Start Rules
Online Libraries:
Student Council News
Yearbook Photos
Any student, parent or coach with a group photo of any group from our school are asked to please email a picture to colettequann@nlesd.ca. If you send a picture from your phone please be sure to select the option “actual size” to ensure good quality when uploading to the yearbook site.
Celebrate Student Succeess
We want to acknowledge and celebrate the accomplishments of the students of MDJH. We have a wall of celebration where we place a certificate of acknowledgement highlighting participation and success in a variety of activities.
We want to know if your child has participated in any plays, musicals or has been on a team that has won a title or has been recognized in any individual competition.
We need your help with this. Please let us know so we can proudly display this on our wall. Please email colettequann@nlesd.ca with Celebrate YOUR CHILD’S NAME in the subject line.
MDJH Music
MDJH Sports
Grade 7 Girls Basketball
Congratulations to the Grade 7 Girls Basketball team on their tournament win January 6, 7, and 8. They hosted the tournament and went undefeated to win!
Macdonald Drive Junior High
Email: macdonalddrivejrh@nlesd.ca
Website: mdjh.info
Location: 110 Macdonald Drive, St. John's, NL, Canada
Phone: 709-753-8240
Twitter: @mdjh