Warning: Busy Week Ahead…

Hey GCS Family.  Hoping this finds you all enjoying a relaxing weekend.  Take a peek at some of the upcoming events…

Island Storm Game & GCS Fundraiser:

Have you purchased your tickets for the Island Storm Game on April 7th, featuring our Jr & Sr Cheer teams? Please return your money to your child’s homeroom teacher to receive your ticket vouchers before game day. You will need to cash in the vouchers for an actual seat before the game.

Cheerleaders:  We are pleased to be offering our Jr. & Sr. Cheerleaders a free student ticket to this game. That being said, each cheerleader is expected to purchased a minimum of 1 adult ticket. While this is a school-related event, students MUST be supervised by a parent.  Jr Cheerleaders who return their form to their homeroom teacher indicating the number of tickets they wish to purchase, as well as payment, will receive their student ticket voucher at that time. Mrs. Able has agreed to cash in the tickets for the senior girls cheer team, however each Sr cheerleader is expected to purchase a minimum of 1 adult ticket as well.

Any questions regarding tickets, please email Mrs. MacNeill at nmacneill@gcspei.ca.  We hope you will spread the word to family, friends, co-workers & neighbors. We’d be happy to have you all join us to cheer on our Island Storm.

Open Chapel – You’re Invited:  

Everyone is invited to join us for our weekly Chapel service on April 19th from 9:00am – 10:00am. We will sing some of our favourite chapel songs. Grades 1-6 will have the opportunity to perform some of the songs they have learned in music throughout the year. Kindergarten will also preform a short musical which they having been working hard on in music with Mrs. Bouter. Please invite grandparents, aunts and uncles and other family members. All are welcome! We hope to see you there.

Provincial Science Fair:

Please join me in sending best wishes to Grade 5/6 students, Kyler B, and Sahand A., as they represent our class and GCS at this year’s provincial science fair at UPEI later this week.

Upcoming Assignments & Assessments:

Thursday:  Spelling Quiz 21
Friday:  Take It To Heart Writing Assignment
Friday:  Math Test 12
Next Mon:  Final History Project Due

Important Dates:

Apr 7- Island Storm Game
Apr 14 – Good Friday (No Class)
Apr 17 – Easter Monday (No Class)
Apr 20 – Report cards
Apr 20 – Parent Teacher Conferences (pm)
Apr 21 – Parent Teacher Conferences (am)
Apr 29 – Family Fun Run

See you all bright & early on Monday morning!

Mrs. M

March Break Update…

As our Spring Break (with winter-like conditions) draws to a close, I hope everyone is feeling rested and has found time to do some things they enjoy.  Please take note of the following:

GCS & Island Storm Game:

Please look for an important announcement being sent home with your child on Monday regarding our upcoming Island Storm basketball game on Friday, April 7th.  This fundraiser allows for half the proceeds of our tickets sales to go right back to GCS. You simply buy a ticket at a reduced rate of $10, and come enjoy the game.

The Jr & Sr Cheer teams will be performing during the half-time show, and our Sr High Ladies Basketball Champions will be recognized as well.  Please send in your ticket forms and payment to your child’s homeroom teacher.  If friends, family, and/or coworkers would like to purchase tickets, please let me know and I will arrange to make that happen!

The Island Storm will also visit the elementary this coming Monday.

Assignments & Assignments:

Please note that there will NOT be any assignments, tests, or quizzes this week.  (You’re welcome, kiddos)

Upcoming Dates:

April 7 – GCS Storm Basketball Game
April 14 – Good Friday (No school)
April 17 – Easter Monday (No school)

Check back later this week for any additional announcements!  Enjoy the remainder of March Break…

Mrs. M

It’s Winter Carnival Week…

Happy Saturday GCS Family.  We have a full week ahead of us before we all enjoy a much deserved Spring Break.  Please take note of the following:

Winter Carnival:

Grace Christian School WINTER CARNIVAL is March 13th to 17th.

Show your school spirit and join in the fun by participating in our theme days! Remember that modest, clean, neat and appropriate is always the rule! Winter Carnival is organized and sponsored by G.C.S. Student Council.

Monday: PAJAMA DAY – A student favorite! Wear your favorite pajamas to school but
don’t forget to wake up!

Tuesday: DECADE DAY – Dress up like people from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s or any
other decade from the past. Raid your parents’ closets!

Wednesday: RED CARPET / PRINCE & PRINCESS DAY – Dress up in formal celebration
clothes today. Wear a crown or a tiara if you want.

Thursday: DISNEY DAY – Have you got a costume? Great. Are you a creative mind who
can make one? Great. If not, join in the day by wearing a t-shirt or sweat-shirt, or carrying something with a Disney character motif.

Friday: SKIING at BROOKVALE (grades 3-12)

Kraft Hockeyville:  PLEASE VOTE

O’Leary, P.E.I. has been named as one of 10 finalists for Hockey Night in Canada’s Kraft Hockeyville competition.  This is the hometown of both Mrs. MacNeill & Mrs. Barton, both of whom have spent many hours with their friends and family over a good game of hockey. Even today, many of our students at GCS play hockey at the O’Leary Community Sports Centre.

The community is already guaranteed a $25,000 dollar prize to upgrade the O’Leary Community Sports Centre, just for making the top ten.  It’s hoping to be in the top two, which would mean another $100,000 for rink upgrades and the top prize – the opportunity to host a preseason NHL game.

Residents of PEI are urged to showcase their Island-way of helping one another by going online to vote for O’Leary.  At the same time, residents are asked to reach out to their family & friends, whether they are Islanders or not, to give O’Leary that little extra push towards the final line. Online voting begins on Sunday at 10 a.m., and runs until Monday at midnight. Please visit the  Kraft Hockeyville Website to cast your multiple votes.

Mathletics March Madness Competition

Get your math brains on, students! The elementary classes have entered a national competition through Mathletics, an award winning interactive site that aims to improve maths skills through fun activities linked to the Canadian curriculum. Students earn points by completing activities and answering questions in Live Mathletics competitions. We are hoping the enthusiasm surrounding this competition grows and will help to increase our students’ math skills. And, who knows? We may even win a prize. J

For the duration of this competition, I am allowing students to bring in devices so that, when they are finished of the required daily work, they can spend time doing Mathletics. This does not mean that you have to send in a device if you are not comfortable doing so! Students who do not have a device can use school computers if they are available. Any devices that come in will be kept in a safe place in the classroom when not in use and will be sent home at the end of the day.

Students can do Mathletics activities at home as well as in class. As long as they are connected to the internet and not using an offline Mathletics app, the points that they earn will count toward the competition.

Happy math-ing!

Mandarin Classes

GCS is proud to announce the beginning of Mandarin classes for all elementary students. We look forward to welcoming Mrs. Lin each Wednesday to help us learn a third language.

Important Dates:

• March 13-17 – Winter Carnival (Details about dress up days will follow soon)
• March 17 – Grades 3-12 Ski Trip
• March 20-24 – March Break (No school)
• April 7 – GCS Storm Basketball Game
• April 14 – Good Friday (No school)
• April 17 – Easter Monday (No school)

Weekly Update…

Happy Weekend GCS Family!  Please take note of the following information and mark your calendars:

Science Fair:

First of all, please except my sincere thanks to all you parents who worked tirelessly over the past couple weeks to help your child finalize their science fair project.  I very much appreciate all you do to help me guide their learning in the completion of these projects.

Students in Grade 5/6 are expected to have their projects completed and in class on Monday, March 6th.  The school-wide science fair will be occur on Tuesday, March 7th. Students will present their projects throughout the day, however parents are strongly encouraged to attend public viewing between 2:00-3:00.  Prizes will be awarded at approximately 2:45.

Following the science fair, students are asked to take their projects home.  Please keep all projects together until final decisions are made as to which student projects will attend the Provincial Science Fair on behalf of GCS.

School Spirit Day & Championship Basketball Game: 

Please join us at Holland College this Monday, March 6th, at 6:00 PM, and help us cheer our Sr. Girls Basketball team to a gold medal victory!  There will be a small admission cost associated- $5/adult and $2/student to help cover the costs of the event.

Cheerleaders are asked to arrive at Holland College by 5:30 and be dressed in their black leggings, cheer t-shirt, and indoor sneakers.  Hair should be in a ponytail with their cheer bow in.

All GCS staff and students are strongly encouraged to wear their GCS apparel to school on Monday as well.  Go Knights Go!

Winter Carnival:

Grace Christian School WINTER CARNIVAL is March 13th to 17th.

Show your school spirit and join in the fun by participating in our theme days! Remember that modest, clean, neat and appropriate is always the rule! Winter Carnival is organized and sponsored by G.C.S. Student Council.

Monday: PAJAMA DAY – A student favorite! Wear your favorite pajamas to school but
don’t forget to wake up!

Tuesday: DECADE DAY – Dress up like people from the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s or any
other decade from the past. Raid your parents’ closets!

Wednesday: RED CARPET / PRINCE & PRINCESS DAY – Dress up in formal celebration
clothes today. Wear a crown or a tiara if you want.

Thursday: DISNEY DAY – Have you got a costume? Great. Are you a creative mind who
can make one? Great. If not, join in the day by wearing a t-shirt or sweat-shirt, or carrying something with a Disney character motif.

Friday: SKIING at BROOKVALE (grades 3-12)
SKATING (grades JK-2)

Important Dates:

• March 10 – Elementary Skate
• March 13-17 – Winter Carnival (Details about dress up days will follow soon)
• March 17 – Grades 3-12 Ski Trip
• March 20-24 – March Break (No school)
• April 7 – GCS Storm Basketball Game
• April 14 – Good Friday (No school)
• April 17 – Easter Monday (No school)

All for now…
Mrs. M

A Glance At The Week Ahead…

I am thankful to be back inside my classroom the past 2 school days, after an incredible journey to Washington, DC with some of my former students.  We are gearing up for a full week ahead.  Take a peek at the following announcements:

GCS Science Fair:

Students should be beginning the final stages of their science fair projects which will be due on Monday, March 6th.  Students have had several check-points with me to ensure they are on the path to success.  I look forward to hearing their presentations and viewing their final projects at the fair.

Please take time to purchase a backboard this weekend.  Students have been asked to keep their projects tidy by typing their project information and printing it off at home.  If printing becomes an issue, please have your child save their work to a flash drive or share it in Google Drive with me and I will print it off at the school.  Printable science fair project labels can also be downloaded and printed online for free.

Skating: 

Wednesday, March 1, the elementary classes will be going skating at Simmons arena. All students and adults are required to wear a helmet on the ice.  Also, please ensure that your child has mittens, hat and snow pants to wear on the ice.  Students who choose not to skate should be picked up at the school no later than 12:00.

We will need drivers for this event.  We also appreciate any help parents can give us tying skates and getting the little ones ready to get one the ice.  We will be leaving the school at 1:15.  Ice time is from 1:45 – 2:45.   All students must be picked up at the rink, instead of at the school, by 2:45.    If your child is in after school care they will be transported back to the school.

Assignments & Assessments:

Thursday:  Spelling Quiz 18
Friday:  Writing Assignment
Friday: Math Quiz 11

Important Dates:

Mar 7- School Science Fair
Mar 13-17 – Winter Carnival
Mar 20-24- March Break
Apr 7 – GCS Storm Game
Apr 14 – Good Friday

Snow Day Updates

ENOUGH SNOW ALREADY!  Please take note of the following mid-week updates:

Elementary Skate:

The elementary skate scheduled for Wednesday, February 15th has been cancelled. Students should come prepared for regular afternoon classes.

Muffin Sale:

Tomorrow morning, Mrs. Huizing will be selling her fresh blueberry and chocolate chip muffins for $2.00 in support of The Coldest Night of the Year.

Fro-Yo Sale:

This Thursday, the GCS Senior Cheerleaders will be selling vanilla frozen yogurt with rainbow sprinkles for $2.00.  All money generated from this sale will go towards helping the team attend a cheer competition in April.

Love Of Reading Week:  

Scheduled events on school days that have been cancelled will not be rescheduled.  If you have any questions regarding Love of Reading week, please contact Mrs. Biech.

Wednesday: Sweet Reading – Each student will have the opportunity to complete a sheet about books they love.  When this is returned to Mrs. Biech in the library (during lunch), she will have a sweet treat.

Thursday: Book Character Day – dress up as character from a book.  Also, during lunch or during the afternoon classes, feel free to take your students to check out some great projects from various grades.  This will be set up in the foyer. (Note: If you have projects to display, please let me know how many and how much space they will need so we can have enough tables set up.  Students do not need to be with their projects.)

Friday: Art and Reading – Grades JK-2 will enjoy a special story and art time with Mrs. Biech while the rest of the school is skiing.

High school students are welcome to participate in each of the days.  All students should be encouraged to bring a book with them each day – there will be some Stop, Drop, and Read times fit in as well.

Ski Trip (This Friday):

Skiing is still planned to go ahead as scheduled.  Right now, the weather looks as if there will be LOTS of snow!  Skiing forms and permission slips will be sent out with the students to be signed as soon as we return to class. All money will be collected the following day, and must be collected by Friday AM.

The most important information that Mr. Biech needs is number of students taking lessons.  Please have a discussion with your child to determine their need for a lesson.

Revised Assignments:

We will reschedule all quizzes and tests until next week.  That being said, students should continue working on their Science Fair projects.

Happy Shovelling Friends!
Mrs. M

Love Of Reading Week

Here is the schedule for Love of Reading Week – February 13-17:

Monday:  Bring your favorite book – all students are encouraged to bring a favorite book with them to have during the day. Mr. Biech will also be reading to the elementary classes.

Tuesday: Bedtime Story Day – dress in your pjs, bring a teddy, and have your favorite bedtime story with you today.  There will also be reading buddies in the elementary from 10:45-11:15.

Wednesday: Sweet Reading – Each student will have the opportunity to complete a sheet about books they love.  When this is returned to Mrs. Biech in the library (during lunch), she will have a sweet treat.

Thursday: Book Character Day – dress up as character from a book.  Also, during lunch or during the afternoon classes, feel free to take your students to check out some great projects from various grades.  This will be set up in the foyer. (Note: If you have projects to display, please let me know how many and how much space they will need so we can have enough tables set up.  Students do not need to be with their projects.)

Friday: Art and Reading – Grades JK-2 will enjoy a special story and art time with Mrs. Biech while the rest of the school is skiing.

High school students are welcome to participate in each of the days.  All students should be encouraged to bring a book with them each day – there will be some Stop, Drop, and Read times fit in as well.

Ski Trip To Brookvale Ski Park-  Friday, Feb 17th. 

Students will receive important forms early next week that will need to be returned ASAP. In previous years, only high school students were allowed to snowboard, however with the popularity of this sport, and a growing number of younger students who participate in snowboarding on a regular basis, we have decided that with parent’s written permission, students in Gr 3-6 can have the option to rent snow-boarding equipment.  Students MUST have written permission from their parents to rent the equipment, and have previous snowboarding experience. If you have any questions regarding this procedure, please let me know.

Please sign and return your child’s permission form and rental sheet, along with the money.  Students will be leaving promptly at 9AM. Drivers are required for approximately 16 students, so please confirm with me whether or not you are available to drive.

Parent Teacher Interviews- Rescheduled

Due to the cancellation of previous scheduled PT Interviews, the conferences will now take place in the following manner:

• If you were scheduled for a conference Thursday evening, those conferences will now take place at the same time as previously scheduled on Monday evening (6pm-9pm)
• If you signed up for a conference and are unavailable at that same time slot on Monday, please contact the school office (902-628-1668 or office@gcspei.ca) to cancel that time slot.
• If you would like to change your timeslot, please contact the school office to determine possible availability (Monday 6pm-9pm)
• If you signed up for a conference for Friday you can either contact the office to determine possible availability for Monday evening or can contact the teacher directly to schedule a different conference date.

Assignments & Assessments:

Thursday- Math Test & Spelling Quiz

Important Dates:
February 15 – Elementary Skating
February 17 – GCS Ski Trip (Brookvale)
February 20- Islander Day (No Classes)

All for now…
Mrs. M

 

Halfway Through The Year…

With the first half of the school year drawing to a close there are a few items to make note of.  Check out the following information and mark your calendars:

GCS Pride Basketball Game:

This coming Monday, February 6th, our Sr High Girls Basketball team will play their last regular season home game at ICS, beginning at 4:00 PM.  (68 Allen Street, Charlottetown)

In celebration of the girls successful season, we wish to invite all GCS families to come out and support our girls. All individuals who come dressed in GCS apparel will be entered into a half-time draw, so get your Knight gear ready!

Our Jr. Cheerleaders will also be cheering at this game, and are asked to arrive by 3:45PM to prepare for the event.  Please have your cheerleader dressed in their new uniforms, including their indoor sneakers.

On your way out the door, $2.00 treats can be purchased from our Sr. Cheerleaders in support of their upcoming cheer competition in April.

A friendly reminder that no outdoor shoes or treats are allowed inside the gymnasium. We hope you will join us this upcoming Monday.  Go Knights Go!

Fostering Generosity:

The elementary Bible classes have been busy preparing SURPRISE Valentine messages for Miss.Fanning, Mrs. Thorne, and Mrs.Barrett  to show our love and appreciation for their many years of faithful service to Grace Christian School.  Our grade 1-6 elementary students are looking to bless these ladies with a beautiful bouquet of flowers as well.  As a school, we are always looking for ways to foster generosity as a valuable character quality in our students.  Your child has the opportunity to make a donation towards purchasing the gifts for these staff members.  We are asking that any money contributed be from your child’s own pocket.  They are welcome to share money they have saved, or even come up with a creative way to make a few dollars!  When given the challenge to be generous, children will often step up in amazing ways.  If your child is able to share in this, please send the money in by Thursday, Feb 9th.  If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. McGonnell at fmcgonnell@gcspei.ca.

Elementary skates coming soon:

On the following dates, elementary students will be heading to Simmons arena for a school skate:

Wednesday February 15th
Wednesday February 22nd
Wednesday March 1st
Friday March 10th

Please keep in mind that all students must be on the ice. If you do not want your child to go skating he/she must be picked up at noon time. All students must have skates, a helmet, and mittens to go on the ice.

Also, we will be looking for a few parents to help out with tying skates and being on the ice with students.  If you are planning on skating, please keep in mind that the city of Charlottetown requires everyone, including adults, to wear a helmet on the ice.

Important Dates:
February 9 – Report Cards
February 9 – Parent-Teacher Conferences (6-9pm)
February 10 – Parent-Teacher Conferences (10am-12pm)-  NO CLASS
February 15 – Elementary Skating
February 17 – GCS Ski Trip (Brookvale)

Have a blessed weekend!

Mrs. M

News For The Week Ahead…

Off The Wallz Trampoline Park:

We will have exclusive access to the new trampoline park in Slemon Park, Summerside on Friday, Feb 3rd, beginning at 7 PM. Tickets MUST be purchased from the homeroom teacher prior to the event, so please return your child’s form and money by this Monday.

A friendly reminder that this is NOT a GCS supervised event, and partner are responsible for their own children.  A waiver form must be completed before the event as well.  The cost will be $20 each (Full Park Access)  and $15 for Soft Play Park (4 feet and under). Spectators are free.  This is a fun way for families to see each other and get to know each other outside our school.

Important Dates:
February 3 – Professional Development Day (No Class)
February 9 – Report Cards
February 9 – Parent-Teacher Conferences (6-9pm)
February 10 – Parent-Teacher Conferences (10am-12pm)
February 15 – Elementary Skating
February 17- Gr 3-12 Ski Trip

Assignments & Assessments:

Monday:  History Instagram Project
Thursday:  Spelling Quiz 16
Friday:  Science Procedures Due
Friday:  Math Quiz

Have a fantastic weekend!

Mrs. M

 

Snapshot Of What’s Happening…

Happy Sunday afternoon GCS family!  Take a peek at some of the following items that will help you keep up to speed on what’s happening inside our classroom.

Heritage Celebration & Dumpling Day:

The culture at Grace Christian School is diverse. Tomorrow, Monday, Jan 16th, we are encouraging each student to help us celebrate our diversity by wearing something that represents their family heritage- a family tartan, a traditional costume, or even a t-shirt displaying their country’s flag.

We are also looking forward to Dumpling Day, thanks to the generosity of some of our GCS students and their families. Each student will have the opportunity to sample the dumplings, and there is a rumor that a contest may occur to see who makes the prettiest dumpling! See you tomorrow.

School Spirit Day:

To show our ongoing support for our GCS basketball teams we are asking everyone to wear GCS apparel to school on Tuesday, Jan 17th.  A small treat for everyone wearing GCS clothing will be delivered to classrooms. A draw for a GCS T-shirt will also be made.

Science Fair Project Progress:

Call me a nerd, but I LOVE a good Science Fair! I know every parent feels the same way, right?! I could not be more proud of my students for taking time to think outside the box in deciding on their project themes and questions.  This week, we will move beyond establishing a testable question to the research aspect required for each project. Students will be required to submit their research summaries and key vocabulary by the middle of next week. In saying this, students may also wish to begin thinking about the procedures/tests they will administer to ensure they have adequate time to collect enough valid data for their conclusion.

Chess Club:

The last day of Chess Club will be on Thursday morning, January 26th. The club will resume on Monday, March 27^th and continue until Thursday, June 8th. New forms and another fee of $20 per student will be collected in March.

 

Important Dates- Mark Your Calendars:

January 16 – GCS Dumpling Day
February 3 – Professional Development Day (No Class)
February 9 – Report Cards
February 9 – Parent-Teacher Conferences (6-9pm)
February 10 – Parent-Teacher Conferences (10am-12pm)
February 15 – Elementary Skating
February 17- Gr 3-12 Ski Trip

Assignments & Assessments:

Thursday:  Spelling Quiz 14
Friday:  Math Quiz

Picture of The Week:  

So, I couldn’t pick just one- but these smiles are a great reminder of why I love teaching.

Until next week…
Mrs. M