This year, our grade 7 and 8 music students engage in a deep dive into the hymn ‘Lift Ev’ry Voice and Sing’ during our Music and Civil Rights unit. This hymn, which was written in 1899, has been recognized since 1919 as the African American national anthem by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

Our students have studied this hymn through musical, historical and social lenses while reflecting on how the lyrics have consistently spoken to the past, present, and future of the African American experience for over 120 years.

The culmination of this unit offers students multiple options to present an assignment that will address the overall meaning of the hymn. As we enter Black History Month, we feel this would be a good opportunity to highlight two outstanding visual art assignments that were submitted during the first term this year.

Please take a moment to listen to the song and consider the powerful artwork and messages that were submitted by Grade 8 student Therese Laurel and Grade 7 student Olwyn Mirchandani.

Link to a presentation of this hymn - https://safeshare.tv/x/o8pGp7N9bG8

Masks play a critical role for student safety while in-school learning. All students must wear masks at all times.

The only time students are permitted to remove their masks is:

• When students are eating/drinking. Masks can be off for a MAXIMUM of 15 minutes, and students must be socially distanced.
• While students are doing vigorous physical activity in gym class.
  
  

The only students who do not have to wear a mask must have medical documentation stating they cannot wear one.

Masks with three layers are recommended. This could be a three-layer cloth mask or a three-ply disposable nonmedical mask. Whichever mask you choose should be comfortable and completely cover your mouth and nose with no gaps. Here is a video suggestion to help make your child’s mask fit better, especially if it gapes along the sides.

Please remind students to have extra masks in their bookbag.

It is very important that the mask protocol is followed. A non-compliant student will first receive a warning, but if the non-compliance continues to not follow the masking rules, the home will be contacted.

The provincial government hosts a page with links to translated resources for Covid-19.

Click here to visit the page.

Languages available include:

• Amharic (አማርኛ)
• Arabic (باللغة العربية)
• Spanish (Español)
• Simplified Chinese (中文 (简体))
• Swahili
• Tagalog
• Tigrigna (ትግርኛ)

In Grade 8 Social Studies, we are studying the history of our province. As a part of that study, we are learning that history is the “Collective Story” of a region, a nation, or the world, and is made up of the individual stories of people that lived in various places over time. It is their personal stories and the connections between them that make our collective history.

In this virtual museum, you will discover artifacts from our students that allow us to learn a little about their family and their history, and perhaps give us a window into the future of who they and we, as a people, might become.

Click here to access the museum.

Sharing our Cultures Inc. is offering a new project called 'Diversity and Inclusion' open to all K-12 students in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Last year we proposed an Anti-Racism Poster Campaign; this year we want to give students the opportunity to question themselves and share on the theme of diversity and inclusion through the artistic discipline of their choice.

You will find attached all the information you need to participate in this project: poster, rules, forms, and information.

The deadline for submission is Monday, February 28.

Your support and encouragement of students are essential. Let's all work together to build a welcoming, inclusive and cohesive society in Newfoundland and Labrador!

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us at info@sharingourcultures.com

Looking to show your school pride? We are accepting orders for MDJH branded clothing.

Payments should be by cash or a cheque made payable to MDJH. All sections of the order form must be completed. If you wish to add an embroidered name, please be careful to print the name very clearly on the form. Embroidery fees are for one name only.

Unfortunately, no sample sizes are available due to public health safety measures.

Here is the order form. Printed copies are available at the office.

The deadline for orders is Wednesday, February 16.

As part of our grade 9 leaving celebrations, we would like to show a slideshow of all of our grade 9 students and how much they have grown. We will display each student’s grade 9 school picture (we have copies of them) and a picture from you that shows each as a baby, toddler or student in the early school years. Please select one picture only to email to colettequann@nlesd.ca.

We have received an extra shipment of 2020-2021 yearbooks. If you did not order but are interested in purchasing one, please contact colettequann@nlesd.ca

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.

Please let us 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.