March 2015 - Frank Roberts Junior High

Frank Roberts
Junior High School
Tel: 834-8002 or 834-9847
www.fris.k12.nf.ca
March 2015
PADDY’S DAY DRAW
We are holding a Paddy's Day Draw offering you the chance to win $10,000!
Only 200 tickets are being sold so chances are good - really good - for you or one of your friends or family
members or co-workers to cash in on some good luck!
Think of how $10,000 can send you on a vacation to get away from the cold, cold winter or purchase
something on your wish list!
Tickets cost $100.00 each and are available for purchase by contacting the school secretary, Helen Simmons,
at 834-9847 or via email at helensimmons@nlesd.ca so get your colleagues at work to go in on a ticket or
two, have your brothers and sisters get together on one or just buy one for yourself - $10,000 would be an
awesome prize! The draw will take place here at the school on Tuesday, March 17.
There are only a few left so call now to get your ticket! Who knows, you may have the
luck of the Irish and be the lucky one!!
TERM 2 REPORTS
Term 2 Reports will be sent home on March 13. Please take the time to review your child’s report and the
comments made by his/her teachers. Some students are experiencing difficulty attaining the curriculum
outcomes in some subject areas and will need to increase their marks in order to experience success.
Teachers will continue to review student performances to identify at-risk students and make contact with these
homes.
Parent teacher interviews are scheduled for Thursday, March 20 from 12:30 – 4:00 pm and 6:00 – 8:00 pm
and are by appointment only. We look forward to seeing you.
As of 2:30 pm on March 13, appointments can be made using the OPTIS system. If you do not have access
to the internet you may book an appointment by calling the school secretary at 834-9847. To accommodate
these interview sessions, students will be dismissed at 11:15 am on March 20.
Please note that Mme. Benson is unavailable for the 1230-4:00 pm session but will be here at the school for
the 6:00 – 8:00 pm evening session. If you are unable to avail of that time, you may contact her at
judybenson@nlesd.ca to arrange a different time.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY
There will be no classes for students on Friday, March 20 as teachers will be involved in professional
development. Classes will resume for students on Monday, March 23 – Day 3 on your child’s schedule.
NEW SCHOOL SECRETARY
I wish to welcome Ms. Ellen George to staff. Ms. George is replacing Ms. Garland who is now working at the
Department of Education. Ms. George can be reached via email at ellengeorge@nlesd.ca
SCHOOOL CLIMATE SURVEYS
The Department of Education invites you to play an important role in your child’s education. The School
Climate Surveys provide important information to your school, district and the government on your thoughts
and feelings regarding your child’s school and your child’s school life.
Students will complete the surveys during class time by completing bubbles sheets which are then mailed back
to the Department of Education. Teachers and parents are being asked to complete an online survey.
The link for the online survey is listed below and is also on the memo attachment accompanying this
newsletter. The survey should take 5-10 minutes to complete. The deadline for completion is Friday, March
27, 2015.
Parent Link: http://fluidsurveys.com/s/PSchoolClimateSurvey2014-15/
PINK SHIRT DAY
Wednesday, February 25 was Pink Shirt Day – Stand up to Bullying! The Beyond the Hurt group – a student
group with an Anti-bullying theme - designed gym activities that focused on cooperation, caring and
teambuilding. The assembly began with a message to treat each other with kindness and led the Beyond the
Hurt into flash mob to the song “Shake it Off”. The group then taught the student body the moves to the dance
and led them in word games emphasizing anti-bullying words and a life-size version of the hungry hippo game
emphasizing the need to work as a team to reach your goal. Staff and students were treated to chocolate and
vanilla cupcakes with pink icing. A huge hit for all! Below is a picture of all of the students in their pink shirts!
It was a wonderful day and the planning team and the entire student body are to be commended for the
positive behaviours and messages they portrayed.
ATTENDANCE
A reminder that if your child is absent from school please call the school secretaries at 834-9847 or send either
of them email at helensimmons@nlesd.ca or ellengeorge@nlesd.ca to explain your child’s absence. A
synevoice message is sent home every evening for children who are unexcused absent from school.
PUBLIC SPEAKING
In January and February, during students’ Language Arts classes, speeches were researched, written and
delivered to their classes. Each class selected a representative to compete at their grade level. On Tuesday,
March 3 at 7 pm, Frank Roberts Junior High will hold a public speaking night where these class
representatives will compete for first place and runner-up honours. Some of these students will then go on to
represent the school at the CBS Lion's Club competition on March 18.
LEGION WINNERS
Each year around Remembrance Day the Royal Canadian Legion holds a poetry and artwork competition
which is open to all students. Congratulations are offered to Chelsie Cake on winning 1st place for her poetry
entry. As the provincial winner her poem has now moved on to be judged at the national level. Results from
this will be known in May. We wish her the best of luck at the national level. Congratulations are also offered
to Celeste Kavanaugh on winning 2nd place for her black and white poster. Way to go, Chelsie and Celeste!
KIDS EAT SMART APPLE DAY!
Friday, March 27, 2015 is KES Apple Day. Please send a $1 donation to support our KES Club. All money
raised for our KES Breakfast Club stays here in our school to buy nutritious food for our children. We also
encourage students to wear red, green or yellow, the color of their favorite apple on Apple Day! Thank you for
your kind support!
HELPING A STUDENT
It was amazing to see how our school community, in fact, the entire community of CBS came together to help
Makayla and her family during the month of February. The fundraising efforts of Frank Roberts Junior High,
Villanova Junior High, Upper Gullies Elementary and the CBS Badminton Club (via the Jim Webb tournament)
has allowed over $8000.00 to be passed onto the Puddicombe family with monies still coming in. The
generosity and caring demonstrated by all is amazing.
SCHOLASTIC CHALLENGE
On March 6, thirty of our grade 8 students will be involved in the Scholastic Challenge 2015. This contest is
composed of 100 multiple choice questions covering topics including: general knowledge, language and
literature, history, geography, science, and mathematics. The challenge is written all across Canada and
trophies, medals and certificates can be won. This year students will complete their challenge on line and we
wish them the best of luck! Thank you to Mr. J. Butler for organizing this event.
ROBERTS RAVES
Hockey - Congratulations are offered to the RAVENS hockey team on winning the Junior High Hockey
Challenge during the CBS Winterfest. This was done in two straight games to the delight of the players,
coaches, parents and fans in attendance. Thank you to the coaches: Mr. Reid, Mr. Crane, Ms. Rowe and Mr.
Higgins! Way to go, RAVENS, job well done!
Volleyball – Congratulations are offered to the Grade 9 Girls Volleyball team on winning a Gold Medal and
Banner at the St. John Bosco Invitational Volleyball tournament! Thank you to their coach Mr. Farrell, teacher
sponsor Ms. Ghaney and parent volunteer Ms. Puddicombe.
Congratulations are also offered to our Grade 7 Girls volleyball team on winning the silver medal at the MSI
Invitational tournament. Thank you to their coaches Ms. Ghaney and Mr. M. Butler.
Dates to Remember:
March 3
March 6
March 13
March 16
March 17
March 19
March 20
March 23
March 27
School speakoff at 7 pm
Scholastic Challenge – grade 8 students
Term 2 Report Cards go home. OPTIS opens to book interviews.
District Holiday. No school.
Paddy’s Day Draw for $10000. Do you have your ticket?
Parent teacher interviews from 12:30 -4:00 pm and 6:00-8:00 pm. Students
dismissed at 11:15 am.
Professional Development Day. No classes for students.
Horizons Award scholarships due – grade 9 students (see email sent February
27)
Parent School Climate surveys due to be completed. See link below:
http://fluidsurveys.com/s/PSchoolClimateSurvey2014-15/
Kids Eat Smart Apple Day – bring along a loonie to support the school’s breakfast
program
April 3 - April 13
May 14


.
Easter Vacation
Grade 9 Farewell – 6:30 – 10:00 pm