The Warrior Weekly
Next week at a glance!
Welcome to 2019-20!
Andy
Principal
Meet the Teacher – September 3, 2018 from 4:30 – 6:00 PM
Our annual Meet the Teacher event is set for September 3, 2019 between 4:30 pm and 6:00 pm. All parents, along with their children, are encouraged to drop into MMS to:
- Meet teachers and MMS staff
- Tour Mitchell Middle School
- Drop off school supplies
- Complete forms (in Homerooms)
- Responsible Use of Technology (gr 5)
- Walking Field Trip Permission Form
- Verify demographic information
- Parent Portal support/sign up
- Pay for student fees (in the Learning Commons)
- Student fees can be paid by
- Via the Parent Portal
- Cheque (to Mitchell Middle School)
- Cash
- Details about fees can be found here
- Student fees can be paid by
We hope to see everyone on September 3rd to begin the communication process between home and school. We can’t wait to get started!
September 3 - 6 Plans
- Meet the Teacher 4:30 PM - 6:00 PM
September 4
- 8:50 AM Doors open!
- 9 - 11 AM All students in homerooms
- 11 AM - 11:55 AM School Wide Welcome Assembly - families welcome!
- PM Regular classes
September 5
- 8:50 AM Doors open! Regular classes as scheduled except for Grade Level Meetings (Period 1 Grade 5 Grade Level Meeting, Period 2 Grade 6 Grade Level Meeting, Period 3 Grade 7 Grade Level Meeting, Period 4 Grade 8 Grade Level Meeting)
September 6
- 8:50 AM Doors open! Regular classes as scheduled
Get Involved!
- Cross Country - open to any student in the school (grade 5 - 8, girls and boys)
- Volleyball - open to grade 7 and 8 boys and girls
Sign up forms are on the bulletin boards by the gym.
For more information please contact Mr. Tufford (dtufford@hsd.ca) .
Attendance and Entry to School
Absences:
Homeroom teachers take attendance during AM Homeroom time (between 9:05 AM and 9:10 AM) and PM Homeroom time (between 12:53 and 1:00 PM). Any child not accounted for after 9:10 AM or 1:00 PM will be marked absent. At approximately 9:15 AM Mrs. Enns will begin to call parents/guardians of children who have not been excused. (ie. Parents/guardians have not informed the school to excuse the absence or late).
It is very important that attendance is done before 9:10 AM and 1:00 PM and done accurately. Teachers are helped if children are on time as much as possible and in their homerooms by 9:00 AM and 12:50 PM daily.
Please call the school office 204-320-9488, email Mrs. Enns (wenns@hsd.ca), or call/text Mr. Mead at 204-371-6278 or email amead@hsd.ca any time prior to 9:00 AM to let us know if you child(ren) will be late or absent.
Lates:
If a child arrives after 9:00 AM or 12:53 PM they will be asked to check in at the office. A late slip will be given to the child to bring to the teacher they have at the time they arrive. At that time Mrs. Enns will change the attendance from absent to late. Students are then asked to go to their lockers and quickly get to the class they should be in. If a student does not have a late slip, teachers will direct them back to the office to get one before allowing them into class so we can maintain accurate attendance records.
Entrance Doors:
All students may enter the building using the front doors by the main office or through the doors by the Tech Lab. Between 9:15 AM and Noon the only doors that will remain unlocked are the ones by the front office and the Home Ec. Lab (staff entrance –east side doors near the parking lot). During the recess and lunch breaks the back doors to the field and the doors by the Tech Lab will be unlocked for students to go outside for the recesses. At 1:00 all doors will be locked except the front doors and the doors by the Home Ec. Lab (staff entrance).
Lunch Hour
11:55 - 12:30 PM Lunch Recess
12:30 PM - 12:50 PM Lunch Eating Time (students are encouraged to bring a snack to eat during the AM recess time)
Wherever possible, we request that students go home for lunch. Town students are expected to go home for lunch, and may stay home during the noon recess. On days when this is not possible, parents should send a note in the morning requesting permission for their child(ren) to stay at school. Children of working parents may bring a note at the beginning of the school year, which will be valid for the year. Should a student’s noon behaviour become problematic, parents will be contacted so that they can make other arrangements for lunch for a period of time. Students going home for lunch should return by the 12:50 PM buzzer.
Students who bring lunch to school generally eat at their own desks in their own homerooms. Supervisors are assigned and are always close at hand, although not always right in the classroom. We expect students to talk quietly and demonstrate good manners during lunchtime. Students must stay in their classroom until dismissed.
All students who stay at school for lunch must stay on school property at all times. If a student, who typically stays at school for lunch, must leave school property for any reason, a note from home must be given to homeroom teachers before 9 AM the day of the request.
Every Day Counts
15 Questions to Replace ‘How Was School Today?’
From https://www.edutopia.org/
How many times have you asked your child, “How was school today?” and been frustrated by the lack of response? As a parent, I’m guilty of asking my son this question all the time, even though I usually don’t get much in return.
Sometimes (to be honest), I haven’t had the energy for a real conversation. Other times, I just can’t think of what to ask. As a teacher, I have often wished that kids would share stories of the awesome things we were doing with their parents, but I couldn’t figure out how to make that happen.
Now that my son is in middle school—where communication from teachers is less than it was when he was in elementary school and more stuff is happening at school that I need to be aware of—I’ve identified a list of questions that draw out important information. I wish that when I was in the classroom I’d been able to offer this list to parents so that they could hear about what we were doing in our class.
THE QUESTIONS
With slight wording modifications, these questions can work with children of all ages:
- Tell me about a moment today when you felt excited about what you were learning.
- Tell me about a moment in class when you felt confused.
- Think about what you learned and did in school today. What’s something you’d like to know more about? What’s a question you have that came from your learning today?
- Were there any moments today when you felt worried? When you felt scared?
- Were there any times today when you felt disrespected by anyone? Tell me about those moments.
- Were there times today when you felt that one of your classmates demonstrated care for you?
- Were there any moments today when you felt proud of yourself?
- Tell me about a conversation you had with a classmate or friend that you enjoyed.
- What was challenging about your day?
- What do you appreciate about your day?
- What did you learn about yourself today?
- Is there anything that you’d like to talk about that I might be able to help you figure out?
- Is there anything you’re worried about?
- What are you looking forward to tomorrow?
- Is there a question you wish I’d ask you about your day?
TIPS FOR ASKING QUESTIONS
How and when we ask these questions makes a big difference in the information we receive from our kids. First, you don’t want to ask all of these questions on the same day. You might ask one or two. After a while, you’ll figure out which ones elicit the most meaningful responses. You’ll want to ask during a time when you have the ability to focus so that your child feels they have your full attention. With my child—and in my household—dinner and driving in the car are optimal times for these conversations.
Now these conversations have become routine. My son knows that when we drive to school I’ll ask him what he’s looking forward to, if there’s anything he’s worried about, and if there’s anything he wants to talk about with me that I might be able to help him figure out.
MORE SUGGESTIONS
The following can help your conversations be positive and powerful:
- Don’t interrupt. This is a good rule for any conversation, but especially if you want to get a lot of information out of a kid.
- Ask for more. Simply say, “I’d love to hear more about that...” Or, “Can you expand on that a little?”
- Ask about feelings. After a child describes an experience, ask, “How did you feel in that moment? What did you notice about your feelings?”
- Validate feelings. Whatever your kid feels is normal and okay. Let them know that. Feelings are okay. Tell them this.
- Tell them it’s not okay for teachers or kids to be unkind or mean. If they tell you a story about a teacher who yelled or disrespected them (regardless of what they said or did) let them know that it’s not okay for an adult to treat them that way. Same goes for how they are treated by other children.
- Thank them for sharing with you. Always appreciate their honesty and willingness to share the highlights and bright spots, as well as the difficult moments. This will fuel their confidence in telling you more.
Important Information about MMS
Good information on the school website
To stay on top of everything MMS please follow these sites.
- School Calendar (find school wide events, schedule of practices and games)
- Read our Daily Daily Announcements
- YouTube Channel (watch daily announcements)
- Homeroom Schedules
- Bell Schedule
Lunch Options
- Canteen Menu
- Wednesday - Sub Sandwiches $4.75
- Friday - Pizza - $2 per slice
*Items can be purchased from the canteen at 9 AM on these days and orders will be delivered to homerooms by 12:30 PM.
Lunch Recess Clubs (11:55 AM - 12:30 PM) Coming soon!
To stay positively engaged during lunch hour the following clubs are available:
- Monday: Grade 7 Opportunity Club, Tech Ed Club (7s and 8s)
- Tuesday: Grade 6 Intramurals, Lunch Choir, Grade 5 Opportunity Club
- Wednesday: Grade 8 Opportunity Club, Grade 5 Intramurals, Cribbage Club, Tech Ed Club (7s and 8s)
- Thursday: Grade 6 Opportunity Club, Grade 7 Intramurals, Lunch Choir
- Friday: Crochet and Knitting Club, Friendship Club, Grade 8 Intramurals, Jazz Band, Makerspace Club, Tech Ed Club (7s and 8s)
*Listen to/read/watch the daily announcements as these clubs are canceled from time to time.
Connect with MMS
Check our website often!
Mitchell Middle School
Email: mms@hsd.ca
Website: http://mms.hsd.ca
Location: 203 Third Street, Mitchell, Manitoba R5G 1H7
Phone: 204-320-9488
Twitter: @mmshanover