I would like to thank Mme
Buchanan for her 27 years of teaching at École Golden Gate Middle School. Mme
Buchanan recently announced her retirement and we wish her all the very best as
she embarks on a new chapter in her life. Thank you Mme Buchanan for your
commitment and dedication to teaching and to the students of Golden Gate over
your career.
Our
Great Gator Celebration took place on December 21st! Congratulations
to all the students who were recognized for their contributions to the
academics, arts, athletics, and/or special achievements. Monthly, students are
nominated as Great Gators “Student of the Month” in the areas of band, choir,
art and athletics. We had a special awards winner in the area of athletics,
academics and special achievement in recognizing a former student, Kienan
LaFrance. Kienan, who attended Golden Gate and later Sturgeon Heights, is a
member of the Ottawa Red Blacks of the CFL who recently won the Grey Cup! There is
Nothing Greater than Being a Gator!
This
past week we had lots of fun enjoying Spirit Week! Unfortunately, due to the
cold weather we had to cancel our Ice Bucket Challenge but had lots of fun with
other activities. We did a great job in raising food items for the Christmas
Cheer Board! We were able to provide a “huge” hamper for three families! Way to
go Gators for your spirit of giving! Thank you to our Student Leadership team
for organizing the week for all of us to enjoy and to help families this holiday
season!
In athletics, basketball season
is underway. Atomic basketball will begin after the winter break and we
encourage students still interested in the game to come out. Just a reminder
that we appreciate parental support in driving our students to games, but
please ensure that you have completed the Driver’s Authorization Consent Form
in advance of transporting any students. Yoga has turned out to be popular
amongst students and staff, and is offered Friday mornings at 8 am.
Morning Track and Field will start following the holidays, with sprints,
relays, hurdles, jumps and throws.
It
is important to review and remind our students of the expectations with regards
to snowballs. As this has been a practice since the early years in elementary
school, students should understand for safety reasons that snow must be left on
the ground at all times. There is no place for throwing snowballs as someone
will potentially get hurt, and it is not permitted on or off school property.
Students who are not cooperative in following the rule may face disciplinary
action.
We
are still accepting the Student Self-Assessment/Parent Comment forms that
accompanied each student's report card on December 6th. We appreciate our
students and parents taking the time to relay their thoughts, both positive and
otherwise.
Our Open House for prospective
students will take place on Wednesday, January 18th at 7 pm in the
gym. If you currently have children
attending Golden Gate, and have a child in grade 5, we look forward to seeing you
out! Next year as a result of the reorganization phase-in, Golden Gate will
have English programming for grades 6 to 8, and French Immersion programming
for grade 8’s.
Pre-printed student registration
forms, which will include student information for our current grade 6 and 7
students, will be going home with the students early in January and we would
expect them to be returned as soon as possible. All registration forms must be
handed in to the student’s homeroom teacher by January 27th.
Prospective incoming new students will be provided a registration form on
January 27th. These registration forms will be made available at
your child’s elementary school. Registration forms will also be made available
online as of January 27th for our new students.
Here are the Open Houses that
will be taking place at the High Schools for our grade 8 students for next
year……
John Taylor Collegiate, 470 Hamilton Ave. Thursday, February 16
St. James Collegiate, 1900 Portage Ave. Monday, February 13
Collège Sturgeon Heights Collegiate, 2665 Ness Ave. Tuesday, February 14
Westwood Collegiate, 360 Rouge Rd., Wednesday, February 15
**All Information Evenings for the High
Schools begin at 7:00 p.m.
Important
dates to remember:
December 23 - Winter break begins
Monday, January 9 - Students
return to class Day 5
January 18 - 7 pm Open House
January 10 and 24 - Early
dismissals
January 10 - 6 pm Ski Trip
Parent/Student Meeting in the Gym
January 26 - 7 pm Grade 6 Band
Concert
February 7 and 21 - Early
dismissals
I would like to wish everyone
Happy Holidays and a safe and enjoyable holiday season! Merry Christmas!
Yours respectfully,
Mr. D. Kalynchuk
Principal/Directeur
