Principal`s Message May 2015 - Ecole Bonaventure

516A Stanley Ave.
Selkirk, MB
R1A 0S1
Telephone 785-8284
FAX 482-8370
MISSION STATEMENT
E-mail: bonaventure-sch@lssd.ca
École Bonaventure is a safe and respectful learning community in
which every member has the opportunity to develop his or her
academic, social, physical and creative abilities within a French
Immersion setting.
www.lssd.ca/bonaventure/home.htm
Principal’s Message
May 2015
Mot-iva-thon
I am excited to announce that the students raised $4,461.75 during this year’s Spell-a-thon! Thank-you so
much for your great support!!! We easily surpassed the 3 levels of sponsorship we had challenged the students with. Therefore they win all 3 rewards!
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We will be taping Mme Beveridge to the old gym wall during an assembly Thursday.
Students will be treated to a movie and popcorn in their classrooms.
We will host a “Bonaventure a du talent” (Bonaventure’s Got Talent) in June, hopefully in the
new gym!. Date is yet to be determined, but students can start practicing! Auditions will be held at school
Wednesday, May 20th over the lunch hour! Students can perform individually or as a group to showcase their
talent.
We also received a grant from the Selkirk District Foundation which will pay for the appliances required for the
kitchenette, in addition to the funds already allocated to us by our own PAC.
Spring Concert & Volunteer Appreciation - May 14th
Speaking of Bonaventure Talent, students will have the opportunity to showcase their musical chops at our
upcoming spring concert, under the direction of M. Cloud. As in the past, it will be held in the ESJH gymnasium. Doors will be open at 1:30 for the afternoon performance at 2:00 p.m. and at 6:30 for the evening
performance at 7:00 p.m. Silver collection will go towards the cost of the rental equipment for the concert. Any
funds left-over will go towards re-furbishing our flower beds in the Outdoor classroom, which had to be removed
during the gym construction.
Global Day of Parents – June 1, 2015
An important goal for the Lord Selkirk School Division is acknowledging and respecting the diversity of students
and families we serve. We also recognize that families come in all shapes and sizes, and that some students feel
left out when we observe Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. This year we would like to begin a new tradition and observe The Global Day of Parents on June 1st, as a way of celebrating the diverse guardians and care-givers who
care for our children. We invite families to still celebrate Mother’s Day and/or Father’s Day with their own families.
The following was taken from the UN website:
The Global Day of Parents is observed on the 1st of June every year. The Day was proclaimed by the UN
General Assembly in 2012 with resolution and honors parents throughout the world. The Global Day provides an opportunity to appreciate all parents in all parts of the world for their selfless commitment to children and their lifelong sacrifice towards nurturing this relationship.
In its resolution, the General Assembly also noted that the family has the primary responsibility for the nurturing and protection of children and that children, for the full and
harmonious development of their personality, should grow up in a family environment
and in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding.
Bonaventure Bulletin
Page 2
April 17th Professional Development
We had a consultant from the Bureau d’éducation française come out to share and model a new assessment tool
for the evaluation of student oral communication in French. Several aspects need to be considered such as: comprehension, vocabulary & expressions, pronunciation, articulation, and grammar. These elements are used to
more precisely evaluate the ease and precision in which the students communicate in French at every grade level.
We also worked with our UDL School Team to do some planning around Universal Design for Learning. This process will enable us to plan more efficiently for the diversity of students we have in the classroom and to be able to
offer instruction in various learning styles.
New Administrative Team 2015-2016
It is with mixed emotions that I announce that I will be retiring at the end of this school year, June 30 2015.
It has been a privilege to be a teacher (5 years) and the Principal (11 years) of this great little school … well
not so little now! The fact that we are finally getting our own gymnasium after all these years shows how
far we have come! Aside from the new gymnasium, I am proud that we piloted the Balanced School Day in
LSSD and other schools have since come on board. Our team of teachers have helped develop, pilot, and
revise a comprehensive reading assessment plan in both French and English, and of course our beautiful
Outdoor classroom which will now be showcased even more via the new foyer. There have been so many
staff and parents who have helped us on our journey, and I am truly grateful for all the support you have
shown me over the years.
Bonaventure will continue be in good hands though, with people who cherish this school community as much
as I do. This new team will feature:
 New Principal - Mme S. Saiko-Gamble
 New Vice-Principal & French Co-Literacy Teacher – Mme J. Herbachuk
 New Resource – Mme C. Dilka
 New Counselor – Mme B. Neil (Mme Margo Yeomans will be working full-time
at Robert Smith)
Interviews are currently underway and the other positions should be confirmed by early May.
Gymnasium Update
Please check our website at ecolebonaventure.weebly.com for gym construction updates!
MUSIC NEWS
Hello to all of the families at École Bonaventure!
I am Mr. Cloud, your new music teacher. I have been a musician and music teacher in California, Nova Scotia and British Colombia before coming here. I play several instruments, including ukulele and
the euphonium. I am singing in the Philharmonic Choir in Winnipeg, and enjoyed participating in the WSO
concert of Beethoven’s 9th symphony in April. I am looking forward to our celebration of Music Monday on
May 4th. Students and community groups across Canada and the world are planning thousands of events to
celebrate music education by singing the same song at the same time everywhere. We will be very pleased
to present the Music Monday anthem, Nous Sommes Unis, at our school concert on May 14th, so you will all
get the chance to hear us. Thank-you for all of your support of music education at École Bonaventure, and
for making me welcome in this community!
Bonaventure Bulletin
Page 3
SPORTS CORNER
The beautiful weather is finally here which means lots of outdoor fun. It’s time to shut off the
television, put away the XBOX and head outside for some family activity.
We are so proud of our students who have done some fundraising for the Heart and Stroke
Foundation. Our students have been extremely dedicated to this cause over the years.
Thank-you to all of our generous families who supported this drive.
Good luck to our Grade 4 and 5 soccer players who will be participating in this year’s Divisional
Soccer Tournament at ESMS on May 13th . We are happy that the fields are drying up quickly so
we can get out there to practice!
Next up is the Divisional Baseball Tournament. The Grade 6 tournament on May 28 th
will be hosted by us. We are in real need of baseball gloves. If you have any gloves lying around your house and that you would like to donate to the school, it would be
greatly appreciated! Please call the school if you could spare a couple of hours to work
at the PAC sponsored canteen. I would also like to use parents to umpire the baseball tournament this year. No experience is required, as the rules are modified … just a cheerful disposition
and a loud voice! Please call me (lbeveridge@lss.ca) at school if you are able to help on May 28 th
… we need you! The rain date for the Baseball Tournament is June 2nd.
Marathon Club is off and running with many students training to participate in the Manitoba
Marathon on June 21st. Congratulations to these dedicated Grade 3-6 runners!
Enjoy the nice weather …
… Walk … Cycle … Swim
… Play Frisbee … Play catch
… Kick the ball around!
Lindy Beveridge and Sherri Gurney
Parent Advisory Council
We would like to give a big THANK-YOU to all the families who supported the Spring
Fling. We hope you had a great time! We will be providing a canteen for the Grade 6
baseball tournament on May 28th.
Our next PAC meeting will be held Tuesday, May 12 @ 6:45pm in the school library. Child care is
provided and all parents are welcome. Thank-you!
Leslie Whitney, Chairperson