Parent Newsletter

Email: macdonalddrivejrh@nlesd.ca
Website: mdjh.info
Location: 110 Macdonald Drive, St. John's, NL, Canada
Phone: 709-753-8240
Twitter: @mdjh

• Thanksgiving Holiday - October 10
  
• Jamarama - October 21 - Wear your pyjamas to school and donate to the Janeway
• Remembrance Day Holiday - November 11

Students in the MDJH LEARN program were busy this week with the CriCut machine our class received through Brilliant Labs funding last spring. We want to highlight all the different languages that are spoken by students. Currently, we have “WELCOME” written in several languages at the MDJH school entrance… keep your eyes open for more languages and more words throughout the building this week. If you know how to read or speak one of the languages you see in the entrance, teach a friend! Teach a teacher!

Does your family speak another language at home? Let your classroom teacher know or come and see Ms. Lynne in 109A and we can add it to our entrance. Let’s celebrate the amazing diversity at MDJH.

Special thanks to Ms. Quann and Ms. Riggs for their expert training and support!

MDJH is participating in the annual Thanksgiving Food Drive. Students are encouraged to bring in non-perishable food items during the first week of October. (Monday-Friday, October 3-7). Food items should be labelled with your child’s homeroom number and can be dropped off at room 108. The three homerooms that bring in the most items will be awarded an ice cream party. Please help us make a great donation to a worthy cause. Thank you in advance for your support and generosity.

Staff and students of MDJH are encouraged to wear pajamas to school in support of the Janeway on October 21. Wearing pajamas is a sign of solidarity and support for the brave kids at the Janeway Hospital who don’t get to change out of their PJs. It lets them know that we are thinking of them and are fighting for them.

Taking part in Jamarama is easy! Simply bring in a monetary donation on October 21, and wear your pajamas to school! You can also donate online at https://9643.thankyou4caring.org/.

On October 21, wear your PJs, take photos, and share on social media! Tag @JanewayNL on Facebook, Twitter, and @janeway.foundation on Instagram.

It’s the 11th year!! So let’s have the biggest, coolest PJ party ever across Newfoundland and Labrador!

Honour the men and women who put their lives on the line for our country and ensure that Canadians never forget!

Come one, come all for a walk/run around Quidi Vidi Lake on Saturday, October 22, to kick off the 2022 Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Campaign.

Registration fee is $10 per person, and for that you will receive a special T-shirt and commemorative pin. Spaces are limited! For more information and to access the on-line registration form, please click here. Any student interested can see Ms. O’Brien, Ms. Sauvé or Ms. Quann for a registration form.

MDJH is celebrating our 50 year anniversary this year. On September 21, we opened a time capsule that was sealed 25 years ago. Our next event will be an open house and former students and staff are all invited! Stay tuned for more information. Details will be posted on our website and twitter account.

At MDJH we acknowledge and appreciate the many diverse cultures and ethnicities in our school. Coming Together is a student-driven club that plans to help students coming from different ethnic backgrounds integrate into the school community, as well as share and learn each other's cultures.

The club is open to all students from grades 7-9. Students will be able to speak their native language and socialize with others. Students who are learning English as a second language can join the group and receive peer tutoring. This group can help students build a greater understanding of inclusivity, multiculturalism, and diversity. The group will meet every day 7 in the art room (room 227) starting on October 17, during lunch. If you have any questions, concerns, or are looking to join this group please contact Alpita Patro (apatro_s@nlesd.ca).

Homework Haven is starting up again! Students are invited to the Library from 2:10-3:10 every Monday afternoon. We will always have a Math teacher available to answer questions, as well as a couple of other teachers from different departments. Students are encouraged to bring something to work on - whether it is homework or study materials. Students do not have to stay for the entire duration - they can leave once their work is completed.

As an extension of Homework Haven, Ms. Kelly will be hosting a Lunch and Learn on Day 3 and Day 7 in Room 214.

Does someone in your household have a food allergy? Are you unsure about what to do in school when you have a food allergy? Here is a checklist that might help you with your questions.

Ever wonder what guidance counsellors do at MDJH? Well, they’ve prepared a slideshow to help you out!

School Counsellor Slideshow

Student council elections for president and vice-president were held on Friday, September 16. Congratulations to Seth Hyde, our student council president, and Reid Edwards our vice president. Class rep elections were held on Monday, September 19. Our first meeting was Thursday, September 29.

Our first project will be a fundraiser for the people of our province who suffered tremendous losses from Hurricane Fiona. On Wednesday, October 5, students are asked to bring in a monetary donation. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that for the next 30 days, the federal government will be matching donations to the Red Cross to help with Fiona recovery. Let’s come together as a school community and donate what we can. Every donation will make a difference.

The 2021-2022 yearbooks have arrived. They have been distributed to all current MDJH students that ordered one last year. They have also been sent to Holy Heart for former students who are now attending there. The yearbooks for students attending Gonzaga should be available for distribution by Monday, October 3.

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 some 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.

Band Schedule

This is the first full week of instrumental ensemble rehearsals. The rehearsal schedule is available on the school website.

Grade 7 Band Day

Our grade 7 students are invited to participate in our Band Day mini-retreat on Saturday, October 15, from 10 - 2 at the school. It's a day of team-building, music-making and fun! Please RSVP for this event.

Monday, October 3

• 4:00-5:30pm: Grade 9 Boys Basketball
• 5:30-7:00pm: Grade 8 Boys Basketball

Tuesday, October 4

• 2:30-4:00pm: Grade 7 Girls Volleyball

• 5:30-7:00pm: Grade 8 Girls “B” Volleyball

Wednesday, October 5

• 5:30-7:00pm: Grade 9 Boys Basketball

• 8:30-10:00pm: Grade 8 Boys Basketball

Thursday, October 6

• 2:30-4:00pm: Grade 7 Girls Volleyball

• 5:30-7:00pm: Grade 8 Girls “B” Volleyball

• 5:30-7:00pm: Grade 8 Boys Volleyball

The MDJH Athletic Department is looking for the coaches for the following teams:

Grade 8 Boys Basketball

Grade 9 Girls Basketball

If you are interested, please contact Scott Mercer scottmercer@nlesd.ca or Donald Mackey donaldmackey@nlesd.ca

Our cross country season is off to a great start. We have a number of committed and talented runners on our team. The first race of the season took place on Saturday, September 17th at Bowring Park. Our students ran their best and represented the school well.

Special congratulations go out to our Grade 7 boys team whose combined score put them in first place. We also need to celebrate Allison Duffett who placed first in her race with a time of 6 minutes and 56 seconds to complete the 1800 m course and earned herself a gold medal. Aidan Douglas also earned a gold medal by placing first in his race with a time of 5 minutes and 48 seconds in the 1800 m race. Matthew Earle was not far behind and placed third, earning himself a bronze medal in the same race.

We are proud of all of our students who rose to the challenge of completing this long distance race up and down the scenic hills of Bowring Park. Well done!!! Meet 2 will take place this Saturday, October 1. Stay tuned for more good news about the great students at 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