Winter Break December 19th - January 3rd

The Administration and Staff of École Golden Gate wish everyone a safe and enjoyable holiday season and a happy new year.  See you back on January 4th.

Update on the Recent Allerject Recall

Sanofi Canada has released an update on the nationwide voluntary recall of Allerject®.   The link below will direct you to the update as found on the Sanofi website.

http://sanoficanada.mediaroom.com/2015-12-02-Update-by-Sanofi-Canada-on-Nationwide-Voluntary-Recall-of-Allerject

Winter Concert 2015

Ipad Project Parent Survey

Golden Gate Families,
Please take a moment to open the following link and complete a survey pertaining to our 1:1 iPad Project. The survey is currently open for response and will be open until December 18th. We look forward to your feedback.     
http://bitly.com/sjsdipad_nov2015

Winter is here!

Please review the information below with regards to bus cancellation:

Metro superintendents check the weather in the morning and make a determination as to whether or not buses are cancelled for the day in the Metro area. -45 degrees Celsius or colder (with windchill) and or severe snowstorms are a couple of the determining factors. Once a decision is made to cancel school buses, a Synrevoice message will then be sent out to parents and principals. The news media is also alerted to cancellations and Division websites are updated to reflect any announcement. Parents of bused students can then determine whether or not they want to send/drive their children to school.

Ski Trip Registration

The last ski trip registration opportunity is Thursday, November 19th, from 4-6 p.m.

Please access and print all required forms from the GG website and fill out prior to coming to the registration night.

Egg Cartons Needed

Plastic and styrofoam egg cartons are needed (no cardboard). Please bring in your 12- or 18-egg cartons to room 7 or 8. Thank you.

Yearbook Pickup

Attention grade 7 & 8's: If you ordered a 2014-15 yearbook, please pick it up from the office TODAY.

Band Fundraiser - Mom's Pantry

Band students are now selling Mom's Pantry Products, which is the perfect time for the upcoming holiday baking season! Orders can be ordered online or through the order forms found in the band room. Orders are due on November 19th. The delivery date will be on Monday, December 7th. Please pick up a form from the band room.

Parents Still Make The Difference December

December Issue
December Calendar

Math & Science Learning At Home Resource

Please take some time to check out this resource provided by the Province of Manitoba. You’ll find videos, animations and interactive websites to help you understand or deepen your understanding of many concepts in mathematics and science. Click on the button that indicates your grade, select the cluster or domain that you want, choose a concept and begin your exploration!

http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/mylearning/index.html

Band Camp!!

Just a few final reminders about camp starting this Monday!

1) All students are to come to the band room at 7:15 A.M. We load busses at 7:30 and are leaving Golden Gate at 7:45 a.m.-Don't forget the TIME CHANGE on Sunday!

2) Students need to bring their home instrument, mouthpiece and supplies (oil, reeds, cork grease, strap) labeled with their name on it and their folder with their music: Starsplitter Fanfare, William Tell Overture, March Militaire, Samba La Bamba, Ten Masters in Two Minutes, and book. Bring a pencil!

3) Bring your camp itinerary from the meeting.

4) Bring puffers/epi-pens on the trip. Please assure they are up to date!

5) Students in the TALENT SHOWmay bring supplies for their act such as ipods/speakers, music, etc. Please note there is no Wi-Fi so songs must be downloaded before leaving for camp.

6) Students and Chaperones need to bring their pillow and sleeping bag, (pillow in a labelled garbage bag not to get wet), clothes for 2 days, warm clothes in case of snow: hat, mitts, warm shoes (2 pairs) or boots, slippers for indoors, toothbrush, shampoo, towels and other toiletries.

7) A backpack to carry around music if you want. Water to drink, lip balm for lips that get chapped easily after a lot of playing. Movies/books for the bus ride.

8) We come back on Tuesday, November 3rd, BEFORE the early dismissal time. You can come pick up your child then.

Looking forward to a great time!

Important Band Parent Meeting Tonight

Grade 7 Band students going to Camp Arnes! 
Students must attend the Camp meeting with a parent on October 28th at 7 pm in the school cafeteria, to hear important info and to sign up for their rooming.

Student Vote!

 

The students from 6E1 and 6E2 have spent the past six weeks learning about the Canadian electoral process.  This program is a flagship program of CIVIX, which has partnered with Elections Canada to provide the Student Vote Program free to schools across Canada in conjunction with the 2015 federal election. The results from our student vote, held on October 16^th, will be shared on the Student Vote website following the closing of the official polls on Monday October 19^th, 2015.  The students from 6E1 & 6E2 have impressed Ms. Winkworth and Ms. Moskal with their ability to discuss all aspects of the electoral process.  Our hope is that the discussion will to continue at home and encourage all, in the future, to act on their right to vote as Canadian citizens!

 

Band Parent Association

The Bothwell cheese orders will be arriving this Wednesday, October 21. If you are able to help organize and/or distribute the order, please contact Mme Martin or the school office. We are looking for some help between 1:30pm and 3:45pm. Any help is appreciated! Thank you! 

WRHA Influenza Information

The Power Of Positive Parenting

Please see the attachments below for free sessions offered by the school division to support parents.

October 20th
October 27th
November 3rd

Parenting Today Sessions

Please see the Parenting Today schedule for this school year

Terry Fox Run 2015

On Friday September 25th, 2015 the staff and students of École Golden Gate Middle School held an event that would make Mr. Terry Fox Proud! Almost 600 people took part as students and staff took to the streets in our community to walk or run for over an hour! Walkers completed a 3 km route while runners took part in a team challenge to complete as many laps of the 1.1 km race route as possible. In total, our school ran/walked the equivalent of 40Marathons and raised over $350 for Cancer Research. Thank you to Culligan who sponsored the water table and to Ms. O'Brien and her wonderful group of student and staff volunteers who made the event a memorable experience for all!

Art Update

Parents Still Make The Difference

We hope you will enjoy the November edition of "Parents Still Make The Difference"

November Edition

November Calendar

Report To The Community

Please review our recently released Report To The Community for more information about what we did last year and what we are planning for this year at École Golden Gate Middle School.

Babysitting Course

My Child In The Middle Years

Manitoba Education and Advanced Learning created this website to meet an expressed need for provincial resources for parents of children in their Middle Years (Grades 5 through 8) in school. The Middle Years signal children’s entrance into adolescence. This period can be an exciting and happy, yet sometimes challenging, confusing and stressful, time for both young adolescents and their parents. This website offers information and resources to help parents and caregivers understand the developmental changes and situations their adolescent children may experience at school, at home and in the community. It also addresses questions and concerns parents of Middle Years students may have, and provides explanations on how to handle a variety of challenging situations. This website may also be useful to teachers who are new to Middle Years education, as it will help them gain a better understanding of students in this age group.


http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/midyears/index.html

Updated Skateboarding Policy

Recently we have found the need to address the issue of skateboarding in the community and on school property. We have shared this policy with our students who skateboard, so they are aware of the rules and expectations.

Please see the details below. If there are any questions please let us know.

1) Skateboards can be used as a mode of transportation to and from school, but students are not to stop on streets, in parking lots or parks in the community to skateboard in one particular area and hang out.

2) Skateboarding is also not permitted on the walkways in front of the school, the public sidewalks out front of the school or across the street.

3) There will be a designated area provided in behind the school for skateboarding that students can use before school, at lunch & after school. This area will be marked by pylons at lunch. Students wishing to skateboard in the designated area must have a completed permission form (pick up from the office) and will be issued a shoe tag so that staff know they have permission.

4) If students are skateboarding in areas that they should not be, a staff member will take the skateboard to the office. The student will be able to pick up the skateboard at the end of the day.

5) Should this happen a second time, a parent will have to come to the office to pick-up the skateboard.

6) Should the issue persist, a parent meeting will occur and the student may lose their skateboarding privileges.


cc image - https://openclipart.org/detail/13808/land-recreation-symbols-22

Add Our Calendars To Your Mobile Device!

If you'd like to subscribe to our school calendars on your mobile device click the link below and choose which calendars you'd like to have on your device. We have provided links that will work on both i0S and Android platforms.

Subscribe To Calendars

If you're unsure on how to add the calendars, contact us at the school and we'd be happy to help!

cc image - https://openclipart.org/detail/168411/calendar

Grade 6 Girls Immunization Reminder

The pink forms for the grade 6 girls HPV vaccinations must be returned to the office as soon as possible.  Please remember to check off the box at the bottom, either giving or declining consent for the vaccine.  Thank you.

St. James-Assiniboia Volleyball Referee Clinic

When: September 25 2015
  Clinic 1 - 12:30-4:00
Clinic 2 -  5:30-9:00
Where: Ness Middle School
Cost: Free
Register: http://tinyurl.com/ogabs3l
Deadline: September 21 2015
What do I get?    Novice Referee certification, rulebook, whistle, the opportunity to referee in the St. James School Division
Questions? Any questions contact jross@sjsd.net

PowerSchool Parent Portal

If you are the parent of a Grade 7 or 8 student and would like access to follow your child's academic progress online, our PowerSchool portal is available to do just that.

You will need two things to set up your access:

1) Unique Web ID

Each student has a unique webID that you will be prompted to enter during the set up to add to add your child to your portal account.

Simply contact the office and we can provide you with the unique webID required.

204-837-5808
2) Visit the website below for detailed videoson how to set up your parent portal account. 

http://bit.ly/ggpowerschool

Create your account and use the unique webID provided by the office.

If you have questions or concerns, please let us know.

Recycle Your Batteries at School

Please bring your old cell phones and batteries (regular and rechargeable) to the GG office.  Once filled, our collection box will be picked up and taken to a hazardous waste centre.

FYI,  the lead from batteries in our landfills goes into our groundwater - YUK!  Besides stored electrons, these batteries also contain complex compounds that can be harmful to the environment. Fortunately, many of these materials are also valuable enough to recover for use in re-manufacturing

For more information, you can visit [ http://www.call2recycle.ca/ ]http://www.call2recycle.ca/   The environment thanks you.

Parents Still Make The Difference

We hope you will enjoy the October edition of "Parents Still Make The Difference".

October Issue

October Calendar

Threat Assessment Process Brochure

For more information regarding our school division's Threat Assessment Process please read the brochure.

Bonjour et bienvenue! Welcome back to École Golden Gate Middle School

Bonjour et bienvenue!  Welcome back to École Golden Gate Middle School.  We are looking forward to spending another great year with all of our students!


We would like to extend a warm welcome to our new grade six students and a welcome back to our grade 7 and 8 students.  The older students are excited to get to know our grade six students and help them navigate in their new setting.   We would also like to welcome new staff members, Mr. Lister, M. Dufour, Mme K. Bees, Mme Wold and Ms. Walpole.  Welcome back to Mme Careen and Mme Gonzales who are returning from maternity leaves.


The beginning of a new school year gives all students the chance to renew friendships and to make new friends within our multi-age homeroom setting.  These homerooms allow older and younger students to mix so that each grade of students has contacts and friends across grade levels.  Parents are reminded to contact the homeroom teacher advisor with any concerns and s/he will forward the concerns to the appropriate staff members.  The homeroom teacher is the parents’ link to all of us in the school.  This will also save parents time as all siblings have the same homeroom teacher.    If you wish to communicate with a teacher, please feel free to email him/her or leave a message with one of our administrative assistants.  We believe communication with parents is of the utmost importance and we encourage and welcome your questions.


The Golden Gate staff is very enthusiastic and they are sure to make this year a fun and memorable one for our students.  We encourage students to get involved in many activities offered at the school.  École Golden Gate Middle School offers a wide variety of extra-curricular activities thanks to our amazing and committed staff.


We are entering our third year of the divisional iPad initiative.  To date we have seen a great deal of engagement in our classrooms through digital learning.  We will be sure to inform you and provide you with all pertinent policies and agreements as well as the date and process for the iPad distribution during the month of September.


We look forward to another great year and we hope to see you at our Family BBQ on Tuesday, September 15 from 4:30 – 6:30!


The Golden Gate Administrative Team


ccimage -  https://openclipart.org/detail/158365/chalk-slateafter receipt of your call.

Important Dates at École Golden Gate

August 20 - Golden Gate office re-opens, Monday-Friday, 8:15-4:00.  

• June report cards available for pickup.  
• For information on the upcoming year, including the School Supply List, please visit the school website:goldengate.sjsd.net and our blog: eggms.blogspot.ca.

August 31 - September 8 - Conference Manager bookings for Triad Conferences.  The Conference Manager will open at 8:30 a.m. August 31st, for families to book their 20-minute Triad meetings with teachers on Sept. 9th or 10th. The Manager will close at noon September 8th. Please call our office at 204-837-5808 if you have any questions.

September 7 - Holiday Monday

September 8 - Inservice-No School

September 9 & 10 - Triad Conferences (20-minutes per student)

September 11 - First day of classes

June News

Please Report School Vandalism

School vandalism often involves graffiti, broken windows, damage to roofs and playground equipment.


To report suspicious activity on school grounds between

10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.

or to report an act of school vandalism in Winnipeg call:

204-231-4556


Our security firm will attend after receipt of your call.

Public Meeting: Proposed Middle School Reorganization

 

Public Meeting: Proposed Middle School Reorganization

7:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 23, 2015 at Collège Sturgeon Heights Collegiate

The Board of Trustees of the St. James-Assiniboia School Division has reviewed the most recent enrollment

projections provided by the senior administration. The projections indicate that the current trend of

increased enrollment in French Immersion will continue into the future.

The Senior Administration has recommended that the Board re-organize Ness Middle School and

École Golden Gate School to accommodate a French milieu School at the Ness Middle School site. This

would mean that Golden Gate would become an English track Middle School. The Board has asked the

senior administration to prepare a full report providing the rationale for such a re-organization and the

implications for student programs. The Board would like to consult with the public before making a decision

regarding this proposed reorganization and share the administrative report with you.

Please come out to the public meeting to express your support or concerns for such an initiative.

Teen Clinic Contact Information

Coaching for Confidence

An internet-based program to help parents help children with difficulty with anxiety (excessive fearfulness, worry, or shyness).


Is your 4 to 12 year old child more shy or fearful than other children of the same age?

Shyness and anxiety are normal emotions.  Some children, however, are much more shy or fearful than the average child.  Anxiety may interfere with their enjoyment of school, activities with other children, new experiences (swimming lessons or sports), and their development of independence and confidence.  Shyness and anxiety may also slow learning at school.


If you think that your child is more anxious (fearful, worried or shy) than most other children of the same age, you may be interested in Coaching for Confidence, a web-based program developed for parents of children with anxiety by researchers at the University of Manitoba.



If you are interested in learning more about this evaluation study, please e-mail Julie-Anne at: CoachingForConfidence@umanitoba.ca  or telephone 204-237-2055 and leave a message. 

THINK

Smudging

                                                                                                            March 27, 2015

Dear Parents,           

                                                                      

Starting in April, as part of our aboriginal Talking Circle group sessions, the students involved, will be learning and implementing the use of Smudging.


Smudging is a tradition, common to many First Nations, which involves the burning of medicines gathered from the earth. We will be using sage in our smudge at Golden Gate.


Many schools are making the tradition of smudging a part of their practice during particular events or as part of the school day.


Smudging allows people to stop, slow down, become mindful and centered.


We wanted to make you aware and anticipate your support in the growing of our students’ life experiences. If you have any questions please contact Mme Marcoux at the school.


Sincerely,


Mme Marcoux

Ms Roadley

Mme Samborski


Ms Peristy

Bussing - Purchase Seat Applications

March, 2015

Dear Parents/Guardians:   RE: 2015-16 Purchase Seat Applications

The St. James-Assiniboia School Division is now in the process of setting up student bussing for the 2015-16 school year. Each year, parents wishing to purchase a seat on a Division bus must re-apply for a seat.

There are no guarantees for a ‘purchase’ seat. Once all students eligible for bussing according to provincial legislation have been identified, bus routes are designed and possible purchase seats for each run are identified. Purchase seat applications received prior to April 30th of each year will be considered in the design of bus routes. However, purchase seats are always dependent on availability, on a first come, first served basis.

In order to be considered for a purchase seat prior to the end of the current school year, the attached application and post-dated cheques must be submitted to the school at this time.  Late submissions (after April 30th) will likely result in a significant wait time for a bus at the beginning of the year. Finalizing bus runs usually takes most of September and early October so late applications may not be processed until the middle to late part of October.

The rates for purchase seats for next year are - $42.00/month for the first child, and $21.00/month for each additional child. One-way purchase seats are also available. Please enclose ten post-dated cheques (dated the 1st of each month) in order that the school can submit your application to the Transportation Department.

The school is the first point of contact for parents/guardians who have any questions related to transportation. If you do not receive confirmation of a seat prior to the end of June from the school, this likely means that a purchase seat is not currently available on the bus. The school will contact you either way in order for you to be able to make alternate arrangements for transporting your child to school. If you are on a wait list, the school will let you know at this time. If at any time you decide that you do not plan to purchase a seat next year, please let the school office know.


If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the school.


Sincerely,


Mme J. Buckwold

Principal/Directrice

École Golden Gate Middle School

Internet Safety

February 10th is "Safe Internet Day" and we want to remind everyone to promote and practice safe usage of social media and online resources. Let's continue to work together to make good choices over our internet use while knowing that resources are out there if mistakes occur. The Canadian Centre for Child Protection has numerous resources to help build skills and capacity to be safer online. We encourage youth to go to http://www.needhelpnow.ca and parents please visit http://www.thedoorthatsnotlocked.ca for resources and information. Together we can keep everyone safer online. Community Relations - Division 51 Winnipeg Police Service

Please Stay Clear of the Ice

Please be aware that the rivers, creeks and ponds in the city are not safe due to unpredictable ice conditions.  Extremely cold water and thin ice are very dangerous at this time of year and we ask that all parents and teachers remind everyone that the ice is unsafe.  Let's keep everyone safe by making good decisions about our waterways.

Bus cancellations due to extreme weather conditions

Each morning, the Metro superintendents check the weather to determine whether or not buses will operate. -45 degrees Celsius or colder (with windchill) is one of the determining factors. Once a decision is made to cancel the school buses, an automated Synrevoice message will then be sent out to all parents and principals. The news media is also alerted to cancellations and Division websites are updated to reflect any announcement. Parents of bus students can then determine whether or not they want to send/drive their children to school.  Radio station CJOB usually lists school closures and bus cancellations.  Please remember to dress appropriately for the weather.  We want everyone to arrive to school and return home safely. 

Welcome Back

Welcome back!

We hope that everyone had a restful and enjoyable winter break and are looking forward to the excitement and challenges of learning throughout second term. For many, January marks a time of making resolutions and positive changes in their lives. At Golden Gate we take advantage of winter and consider it a great time to expand our students’ horizons. There are many camps and cultural activities that teach our students many lessons outside of our classroom curricula. All the while, we continue to teach and instill the qualities of citizenship and the philosophy of restitution in our interactions. It is our hope that all students at Golden Gate will have a sense of belonging, demonstrate generosity, and strive for independence and achievement.

Be sure to mark your calendars for the Grade 6 and Jazz Band Concert on January 15th at 7:00 p.m.