2006-2007 News Archive

Records of Employment have been issued or are currently being issued for the following groups:

• all 10-month employees
• all Contract D & E teachers
• all Supply Teachers
• all Casual Employees (only exception, those working for our Facilities Department throughout the summer)

Records of Employment are filed via the internet directly to Service Canada. Employees will not receive a copy, however, copies are kept on file.

To file for EI go to www.canada.gc.ca. If you have questions regarding your claim call Service Canada directly at 1-800-206-7218.

The Marshview Middle School choir took part in a national choir of 400 voices from across Canada, singing at the National Arts Center in Ottawa on Canada Day.

Arnold H. McLeod students had a surprise visit from a young Nova Scotia girl who is the topic of an Early Years chapter book entitled "Claire's Race" by Nancy Wilcox Richards. It is the true story of a young girl's determination to be an athlete, despite having a rare form of epilepsy. Her message to children is to always do their personal best and to never give up! Mrs. Mattatall's grade 2/3 class is shown here with Claire.

Gisele Robichaud's grade 5 French Immersion class from Lou MacNarin School had the chance recently to complete a Telescope Project in collaboration with the University of Australia. The students had the chance to access the telescope with the assistance of David Mckinnon and take pictures of the night sky, such as this short video of Pluto. Thanks to the administrators of Lou MacNarin, the district's technology mentors, the Deptartment of Education, and the University of Australia for this wonderful experience!

Birchmount teams swept the field at the Middle School Softball Championship on Friday, June 15th at the fourplex. Birchmount Boys defeated Lou MacNarin 12-7 and the Birchmount Girls team also won, defeating Evergreen 6-2. Congratulations Birchmount!

The last day of school for all students in District 2 will be Friday, June 22nd. The day will be a half day. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

School District 2 is pleased to announce that Danny Coughlin was appointed the Principal at Marshview Middle School for a five-year term beginning this fall. As well, Paul-Emile Mallet has been appointed the Acting Vice Principal at Harrison Trimble High School for 2007-2008. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

Arnold H. McLeod will host its annual Career Day on Monday, June 18th. Over 40 community members will visit students to talk about their careers and what led them to make their particular choices. This event is a great support for the comprehensive guidance program and creates great links to the community. For more information contact Ron Hopper, Principal of A.H.McLeod School, at 856-3475.

Janice LeBlanc, a teacher at Gunningsville School, will receive the 2007 Lieutenant-Governor's Dialogue Award on Thursday, June 21st at Centre Scolaire-Communautaire Samuel-de-Champlain in Saint John. The award, established in 2003, is presented to those role models who champion the principles of harmony and respect between the province's Anglophone and Francophone communities. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

Lynne Arsenault, a grade 7 student from Mr. Wong's Art class at Bessborough School, is one of 12 students nationally being recognized in the 2007 Robert Bateman Writing and Art Contest. Her picture will be in the 2008 Robert Bateman Contest Calendar. She will be recognized at a reception on June 22nd at 12:00 at Tomar's Theatre in Magnetic Hill Zoo. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

Claude D. Taylor students formed a Knitting Club this year with the main objective being to learn how to knit so they could make blankets for the pets at the SPCA. These beginning knitters have worked extremely hard and have one blanket ready to go to the homeless animals. Monique Pearl from the SPCA will visit Claude D. Taylor on Wednesday, June 20th so that students can present her with the blanket and a cheque. For more information contact Brenda Mawhinney, Principal of Claude D. Taylor School, at 856-3467.

On June 14th, Lou MacNarin's Student Council organized a Summer Reading Book Exchange to promote literacy and re-using of books. The event was a great success with over 2000 books filling the gym. Students in charge of tables dressed as storybook characters to add a little more fun to the event. All students participated in the book exchange and left with armfuls of books. Enough books were left over to be donated to the library and teachers' classroom libraries.

At the DEC meeting on June 13th, Superintendent Karen Branscombe released information on the school review process.

The calendar for the 2007-2008 school year is now available in the School Calendar section.

Summer School classes for students in grades 6-12 will be available this year from June 27th to July 27th. Please see the information brochure and the application form.

The District Education Council will hold its regularly scheduled meeting this Wednesday, June 13th at 7:00pm at 1077 St. George Blvd in the board room. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

Many of our students are preparing for transitions into new schools next year. Lots of effort is invested in ensuring that these transitions are as smooth as possible. Student success is impacted so much by this factor. Petitcodiac Regional recently hosted the Grade 5 students from Havelock that will be attending Grade 6 in Petitcodiac next year. They were involved in a number of events and activities to prepare them for their new school. Thanks to all at so many schools who work tirelessly to support our students.

The largest District 2 Middle School Track and Field Championship will be held this week. On Tuesday, June 12th at 4:00pm at Riverview Middle School the high jump will occur followed on Wednesday, June 13th at 4:00pm and Thursday, June 14th at the Atlantic Baptist University when all other events will be hosted. For more information contact Monique McTiernan-Black, Physical Education Mentor, at 856-3321.

The District 2 Elementary School Track and Field Championship will be held at Atlantic Baptist University on Wednesday, June 13th. Over 375 young athletes from 27 schools will be participating. For more information contact Monique McTiernan-Black, Physical Education Mentor, at 856-3321.

The Village of Hillsborough assisted Hillsborough Elementary School with the purchase and planting of three trees as part of a playground improvement project. Mr. Land's grade 4 class at the school prepared and submitted the proposal to the town council.

Sunny Brae Middle School has been awarded the Platinum Award from the Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, and Dance (CAPHERD). This award is presented to schools that achieve a minimum of 150 minutes per week of Physical Education classes. Other schools in our district have previously received this award. For more information contact Gerry Caron, Principal of Sunny Brae Middle School, at 856-3459.

Congratulations to Doug Prescott, Principal of Riverview High School, who was recently elected President of the New Brunswick Interscholastic Athletic Association (NBIAA). He was elected to serve a term from 2007 to 2009. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

Operation Rednose will be presenting a Safe Grad contribution to Bernice MacNaughton, Harrison Trimble, Moncton High, and Riverview High on Monday, June 4th at 11:00am at Moncton High. This money was raised during the Christmas party time when volunteers drove home Greater Moncton residents from various gatherings. This money will be well used as the various schools host Safe Grad events towards the end of June. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

Grade 5 students from Claude D. Taylor School will be participating in a robotics competition with the support of a few local engineers. Part of the process is answering the question, "How does robotics relate to engineering?" The competition can be viewed in the school's gymnasium from 11:40am to 12:40pm on Tuesday, June 5th. For more information contact Brenda Mawhinney, Principal of C.D.Taylor School, at 856-3467.

School District 2 will host its annual Employee Retirement Celebration on Thursday, June 7th at 7:00pm at Riverview High School. All retiring employees will be honoured and recognized during this special evening. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

Several middle school students who have been involved in the "Writers in Residence" program will have an opportunity to participate in "Writing Maniacs Part 2" on Friday, June 8th. This Enrichment Congregated Day will occur from 9:00am to 2:30pm at Edith Cavell School. They will spend the day with author Sheree Fitch and, as she says, "let the words slip off your tongue and onto the paper." For more information contact Ginny Hill, Enrichment Consultant, at 856-3011.

Several grade 11 and 12 students from two of our high schools have been selected to participate in the prestigious Shad Valley program. Jennifer Ferris, Christine Gilroy, Rebecca Standen, James Stuart, and Nick VanSnick from Riverview High as well as Achla Joshi and Alex Lawrence from Bernice MacNaughton will be spending much of July at a variety of universities across the country. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

Over 80 Grade K to 8 teachers have been involved with a John Van de Walle book study over the last couple months. Focusing on improving our capacity for solid math instruction is certainly a district target.

JMA Armstrong/Salisbury Middle Complex raised over $2100 participating in Jump Rope for Heart. Several of our schools participated in this worthwhile event.

Author Diane Leger visited Lou MacNarin School last week. She had written a play, "La Butte à Pétard", which students in Mme. White's grade 6 Immersion class had produced. She had the opportunity to enjoy the production with other students from the school.

We are pleased to announce the nominations for the Minister of Education Excellence in Teaching Award. Congratulations to our nominees who will be honored by the District Education Council at a dinner on Wednesday, May 30th at Rotary Lodge in Mapleton Park. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

Beaverbrook School and Getting Through To You Productions are proud to present "Behind the Mask" Wednesday, May 30 and Friday, June 1 at 6:30 PM at the school. Each of us wears a mask, to some degree, in our everyday lives to protect ourselves or hide what may really be happening. This year's play introduces us to an interesting menagerie of characters, each with their own mask. It is an original play written by Chrystal Jewett and Patsy MacKay-Jones and is a sequel to the play "A Different Drummer." Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for students. Tickets can be purchased through the school and will be available at the door. For more information contact Marilyn McAllister Munn, Principal of Beaverbrook School, at 856-3403.

School District 2 will be hosting a Middle School Bridge Tournament at Lewisville Middle School on June 1st from 9:00am to 12:30pm. Participating schools are Riverview Middle, Hillcrest, Lewisville Middle, Shediac Cape and Lou MacNarin. This should be a fun enrichment activity for participating students. For more information contact Ginny Hill, Enrichment Consultant, at 856-3011.

Riverview Middle students participating in "Children Changing the World" assisted in the construction of a new community well in Surepalli, India. The well will provide over 225 community members with clean water for washing and drinking. Vandanam: thank you in Teluga, the language spoken in that region. For more information contact Nancy Matthews, Principal of Riverview Middle School, at 856-3449.

West Riverview School will be hosting "Starry, Starry Night" on Thursday, May 31st from 6:30pm to 8:00pm. Student art work will be on display and the gym will be decorated as a cozy café. You will even have a chance to wish on a star. All proceeds will go towards enhancing the art room. For more information contact Diane Gillis, Principal of West Riverview School, at 856-3451.

The Middle Level students at Petitcodiac Regional School have been learning about different countries during an interdisciplinary unit on "Multiculturalism". On Thursday, May 31 from 1pm to 2pm and 6pm to 7pm every class will be transformed into different continents with music, decorations, costumes, and food tasting, representing various countries within their continents. Come and visit our world! For more information contact Dan Johnson, Principal of Petitcodiac Regional School, at 756-3104.

Bernice MacNaughton High School grade 9 and 10 students recently participated in a Social Studies Fair. Students presented on a number of themes in both official languages.

On Wednesday, May 23rd echoes of "Tag You're It!" and "Catch Me if You Can" will be heard inside and outside Salisbury Elementary School as all 367 students participate in simultaneous games of tag for thirty minutes.

They have taken on the SpecTAGular National School Challenge organized by the Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (CAPHERD) in an effort to get Canadian kids moving by participating in a massive, fun-filled activity. This is the third year of the challenge.

Students, teachers, parents, and volunteers will begin playing tag at 1:00 pm and they will be joining hundreds of other schools from across the country in this challenge. The rain day for the event is Monday, May 28th.

Schools in District 2 will be closed for students and staff on Monday, May 21st for the Victoria Day holiday. Schools will also be closed for students on Tuesday, May 22nd for a New Brunswick Teachers Association meeting. Schools will reopen for students on Wednesday, May 23rd. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

The District Education Council will hold its regularly scheduled meeting this Wednesday, May 23rd at 7:00pm at 1077 St. George Blvd in the board room. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

JMA Armstrong/Salisbury Middle grade 7 students successfully connected to a telescope located at Stuart University in Melbourne, Australia. Access to this telescope has allowed them to take pictures of galaxies, planets, stars, and constellations. A similar project will be completed at Lou MacNarin soon. What a great learning opportunity!

We are pleased to announce the following appointments. Charlotte Purdy-Weir has been named the Acting Vice Principal at Marshview Middle School and Tammy Constantine as Acting Vice Principal at JMA Armstrong/Salisbury Middle School for 2007-2008. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

Tantramar Regional High School is proud to present "The Trial of the Big Bad Wolf". This production will take place on Thursday, May 24th beginning at 7:00 pm. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children and are available from the school. For more information contact Don McCormack, Principal of Tantramar Regional, at 364-4060.

The Aliant Pioneers volunteer organization donated $2000 to help the library at Hillsborough Elementary School. They were able to purchase a number of reference books and a plaque commemorating the contribution was also presented to the school.

Students from District 2 participated in the recent Provincial Oratory Competition at St. Thomas University. At the high school level, Mitchel Betsch was 1st and Alex Lawrence was 2nd. Both students are from Bernice MacNaughton High School. Megan Stokes from Riverview Middle School finished 3rd and Caledonia's Raina Kahn 4th at the middle school level. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

Pictures above from BMHS: 1) Oratory Competition winners Mitchel Betsch and Alex Lawrence, Northrop Frye Essay Competition winner Emily Higgins, and teacher Pam Sheridan and 2) books donated to BMHS from the Northrop Frye Festival.

Petitcodiac Regional is pleased to present "Who's on the Case?", a theatre production adapted from Tim Kelly's "18 Nervous Gumshoes". It is a comedic spoof on murder mysteries and full of quirky characters that are sure to keep you guessing until the end! Dates are: Thursday, May 24th & Friday, May 25th at 7pm. Tickets are available in advance at the PRS office for $5.00 each. The Visual Arts department will also present their exhibit entitled "In Living Colour" in the art room. For more information contact Dan Johnson, Principal of Petitcodiac Regional, at 756-3104.

School District 2 will host its annual Turnaround Achievement Awards program at 6:30pm on Tuesday, May 15th at Bernice MacNaughton High School. This year our guest speaker will be Terry Evanshen, a Canadian Football League Hall of Fame member and a Grey Cup Champion. After surviving a near fatal car accident he awoke from a month long coma without any memories. With the support of his family, Terry made a remarkable recovery. He will be the perfect speaker to focus on overcoming adversity. For more information contact Danny Coughlin, Student Services Supervisor, at 856-3636.

Harrison Trimble was proud to have competed for the first time in this year's Robots East Tournament held at UNB the first weekend in May. Students, staff and community mentors worked tirelessly to produce a competitive robot for this event.

Karen Bauer, High School Literacy Mentor, will be providing an in-service on Wednesday, May 16th entitled, "Trait Talk: Part 2." The sessions will be held in the small conference room at Edith Cavell with Grade 9 English teachers attending in the morning and Grade 10 English teachers in the afternoon. The focus will be on improving skills to use the resource, Level 1, Write Traits Notebook. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

Bessborough School will present an original musical production "The Way of the Cod" on Wednesday, May 16th and Thursday, May 17th at 6:30pm. The play depicts the struggle of Outpost Newfoundlanders from the open fishery, to the onset of the Cod Moratorium and through the modern day. For more information contact Sally Somers, Principal of Bessborough School, at 856-3404.

The following students placed in the provincial French Public Speaking Contest, Concours d’art oratoire, on Saturday May 5th:

• Grade 6 early immersion: 3rd place, Brandon Babineau, Sunny Brae
• Grade 8 early immersion: 2nd place, Hilary Perry, JMA
• Grade 11 early immersion: 3rd place, Emily Colpitts, Riverview High
• Grade 12 early immersion: 3rd place, Emily LeBlanc, Riverview High
• Congratulations to all the participants for a job well done.

The stakes for French Public Speaking have been raised, as has the incentive to participate in the Concours. The provincial winners of the grade 12 Early and Late French Immersion programs also won a $10,000 scholarship from U de M. If the national winner is from the province of NB, U de M will match the scholarship offered by U of Ottawa, which is $20,000. This is a significant prize our students could work towards during the years to come. The University of Moncton has the recruitment of French Immersion students as their priority for the next few years.

Congratulations to all students who participated in the District 2 Regional Heritage Fair held at the historic Riverside Consolidated School on May 8th .Twenty-seven students had an enjoyable day sharing their knowledge about their projects as well as participating in two activities, an educational workshop involving "digital imagery" and a physical education activity.

Nine Juried Awards were presented, but community heritage organizations donated additional prizes so that all students who participated in the Fair were rewarded for their efforts. The students who received the juried awards will have their projects go to the Provincial Heritage Fair Showcase in Saint John at the Provincial Museum and they received invitations to the Showcase which is May 22nd to June 13th.

• Mark Mitton, a grade 6 student from Hillcrest School was chosen to represent District 2 at the National Historica Fair this July 9 - 16 in Lethbridge, Alberta. Mark's project was on the early French explorer "Jean Nicolet".
• The Honorable Laurier LaPierre Medal and certificate (sponsored by Historica) is awarded for exceptional enthusiasm and dedication to history and heritage and was presented to Ashley Cormier and Jordan Cormier from Dorchester Consolidated for their project "Village of Dorchester".
• The New Brunswick Historic Places Award sponsored by Heritage Branch was awarded to William McKinley from Riverside Consolidated School for his project "The Acadian Village".
• The NB St. Croix Award sponsored by Intergovernmental Affairs was awarded to MacKenzie Keirstead from Riverside Consolidated for his project "St. Croix Island".
• The New Brunswick Museum Award of Merit sponsored by The NB Museum was awarded to Jackson Malone from Port Elgin Regional for his project "Confederation Bridge".
• The HBC Explorers Award sponsored by the Hudson's Bay Company was awarded to John Milner from Dorchester Consolidated for his project "The Underground Railroad".
• The Nancy's Award sponsored by the NB Advisory Council on the Status of Women was awarded to Laura DeWolfe from Riverside Consolidated for her project "The Famous Five".
• The RBC Foundation Award for the Celebration of Aboriginal Heritage was awarded to Dawson Peters from Shediac Cape School for his project "My Mi'kmaq Heritage".
• The Council of Archives New Brunswick Award was presented to Erica Lowerison, Kody Crossman and Kirsten Pilgrim from Dorchester Consolidated for their group project "Inuit Life and Rights".
• The CN Veteran's Award sponsored by the Canadian National Railway was awarded to Nicolas DeCarie from Port Elgin Regional for his project "Liberation of the Netherlands".

For more information, please contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077 or norval.mcconnell@gnb.ca.

School District 2 is pleased to invite you to a workshop for school leaders entitled "Creating and Sustaining Professional Learning Communities" with presentations by Anthony Muhammad and Marcella Emberger. Please click the following link for details and registration.

School District 2 is pleased to announce the winners of the Annual District English Oratory Competition that was held Wednesday, May 2nd at Riverview High School. The competition was open to Middle and High School students in District 2. The winners have the opportunity to compete in the Provincial Oratory Competition at St. Thomas University on Friday, May 11th. For more information contact Sharon McIntyre, Middle School Supervisor at 869-6633.

Middle School - 1st: Raina Kahn (Caledonia); 2nd: Meghan Stokes (Riverview Middle); 3rd: Hannah Steeves (Hillcrest)

High School - 1st: Mitchel Betsch (Bernice MacNaughton); 2nd: Alex Lawrence (Bernice MacNaughton); 3rd: Mariah O'Brien (Riverview High)

JMA Armstrong/Salisbury Middle Complex will host an Evening of the Arts on Thursday, May 10th, from 6:30pm to 9:30pm. Student work from many fields including, Visual Art, Music, Drama, Fashion, Culinary Arts and Language Arts will be on display. Admission is $5 and all proceeds will go to the purchase of new Theatre Arts equipment. For more information please contact Bill Robinson, Principal, at 372-3210.

Tantramar Regional High School is proud to present its annual Night of the Arts on Thursday, May 10th at 7:00 pm. The program will feature a variety of ensembles and soloists plus a multicultural art exhibit by visual arts students. The Tantramar Regional High Singers, Tantramar Improv Team, Highland Dancers, Bluegrass performers and many soloists are featured performers for the evening. There will be a reception following the concert at which time the public is invited to view the multicultural art exhibit. Tickets are $5 and are available at the school office or at the door. As well an All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast will be held at the school on Saturday, May 12th from 7am until 11am. Cost is $5 per person and all money will be used to support student council and library purchases. For more information contact Don McCormack, Principal of Tantramar Regional High School, at 364-4060.

Many of our Riverview Schools participated in assisting the town during its annual spring clean up over the last few weeks. So many of our schools are active participants in this type of community effort. Keep up the great work!

The District 2 Regional Heritage Fair will be held on Tuesday, May 8th at Riverside Consolidated School. The Historica's Heritage Fair Program offers students the opportunity to explore the many aspects of their Canadian heritage. All projects must have a Canadian theme and entail some research conducted by the participants. Middle school students from six district schools will be participating at the 2007 Regional Heritage Fair - Riverside Consolidated, Dorchester Consolidated, Port Elgin Regional, Shediac Cape, Bessborough and Hillcrest. The students will display their projects and share their knowledge with the judges. The students will also take part in educational workshops and enrichment activities throughout the day. One student project will be chosen to represent District 2 at the National Historica Fair which will be held in July in Lethbridge, Alberta. Other juried awards and many additional prizes will be presented at the Awards Ceremony on May 8 at 3:30 pm in the Riverside Consolidated School auditorium. For more information contact Sharon McIntyre, Middle School Supervisor at 869-6633.

Two students from Edith Cavell School, Zacherie Robert (Grade 3) and Joseph Robert (Grade 6) have been recognized for their accomplishments in the Canada Day Poster Challenge. Joseph was a finalist in the provincial competion and Zacherie won it. These brothers will be recognized at a ceremony and luncheon with the Lt. Governor on Monday, May 7 in Fredericton. In addition, Zacherie has been invited to Ottawa to take part in the Canada Day celebrations in July. For more information contact Ken Menchions, Principal of Edith Cavell School, at 856-3473.

Don Peters, the Acting Principal at Dorchester Consolidated School, will be returning to the Vice Principal's position at Tantramar Regional High School for the 2007-2008 school year. Jason Reath, the Acting Vice Principal at Tantramar, will be remaining in the position for another year as David Hicks, a Vice Principal at Tantramar, will be returning to a teaching position at the school for the year. As well Betty Vick has been selected for the position of Vice-Principal of Claude D. Taylor School. Betty is currently in the position in an acting capacity. Her appointment is for a five year term. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

School District 2 will host its third Industry/Education forum on Friday, May 11th at Crystal Palace. Presenters from the areas of Manufacturing and Construction will be providing information on their sectors. District guidance counselors, Co-Op teachers as well as other employment and NBCC counselors are attending. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

Several Physical Education teachers from District 2 will participate in the Canadian Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (CAHPERD) National Conference from May 9th to the 12th. The conference is being hosted at the Université de Moncton. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

Some teachers from School District 2 recently attended a workshop entitled "Getting Caught by Poetry and Hums" that focused on exploring ways to approach the teaching of poetry. The teachers pictured below are (from left to right): Patty Fraser (Salisbury Middle School), Lynn Bertrand (Evergreen Park School), Crystal Lawrence (supply teacher), Christina Ross (Queen Elizabeth School), and Betty-Dawn Soucoup (Shediac Cape School).

Schools in District 2 will be closed for students on Friday, May 4th. All teachers in New Brunswick will be attending their NBTA Spring Conference Day for Professional Development. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

Five students and two teachers from JMA Armstrong High School's Duke of Edinburgh team recently spent time volunteering at the Mobile One kitchen. A number of district staff members volunteer on a regular basis with Mobile One. If you are interested in volunteering with this important community initiative please contact Dave McCormick in the Transportation department at 856-3402.

Beaverbrook School is hosting a "Night of the Arts" on Monday, April 30th at 6:30 pm. Student artwork will be on display and there will be Drama, Physical Education, and Choir presentations. For more information contact Marilyn McAllister Munn, Principal of Beaverbrook School, at 856-3403.

The Hillsborough Elementary School students and staff held a special assembly on April 18th to honour their Phys-Ed teacher who had just returned from completing the Boston Marathon. Ms. Leah Williams took almost two years to prepare for the run and achieved her personal best by completing the race in under four hours. She was one of more than 20,000 runners. Grade five students congratulated her on behalf of the students and staff and presented her with a bouquet of flowers, a medal, and a map that gave details of the Boston marathon route. Our school community is very proud of Ms. William's accomplishments and are happy to have a Phys-Ed teacher who exemplifies such qualities as diligence, perseverance, courage, and determination.

Riverside Consolidated School's grade 1 and 2 students completed their birch syrup making project (yes, BIRCH syrup) by treating the whole school to a taste of this rare treat. A staff member from the Albert County Museum was on hand to give the students a history lesson on maple syrup production. The students tapped five trees on the school property and collected twenty five litres of sap. After boiling the sap down in the school kitchen there was just over 100 ml of syrup. Yummy!

Next year's Kindergarten students will receive a very special opportunity on Thursday, May 3rd as they are invited to spend the day at the school they will be attending in the fall. Students currently enrolled in this year's Kindergarten program will have an extra long weekend as they do not have to attend school that day. For more information contact Katherine Arsenault, Supervisor of Early Years, at 856-3618.

Approximately 60 students from our three city high schools will be participating in the 2nd Annual Youth Fest on Thursday, May 3rd, at Moncton's City Hall. The event will be hosted by the Mayor's Youth Advisory Committee and will focus on such topics as "Does Moncton need a youth center?" and "How can Moncton improve communications with students and vice-versa?" For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

In an effort to promote the spirit of charitable giving to young children, the Friends of The Moncton Hospital Foundation’s Kids Care Too campaign asks elementary and middle school students to give a toonie. Twenty schools in District 2 raised close to $4,000 for the most urgent needs at The Moncton Hospital.

Danny Coughlin will be returning as Principal to Dorchester School in the fall of 2007. Danny is presently an Education Supervisor in the district office. Tami VanWart, Acting Principal at Harrison Trimble High School, will be seconded to the District Office for the 2007-2008 school year. Tami's portfolio will focus on Alternate Education. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

The article Helping Teachers Improve Classroom Assessments will be published in the May edition of Principal Leadership. The article is by Marcella Emberger who will be presenting at the upcoming Creating and Sustaining Professional Learning Communities workshop. The article includes pictures of School District 2 educators.

District 2 will host the Provincial Regional Elementary Drama Festival for participating schools from Districts 2, 15, and 16. The festival will be held during the day at Riverview Middle School on Monday, April 23rd and Tuesday, April 24th. For more information contact Ginny Hill, Enrichment Consultant, at 856-3011.

The District Health Action Committee (DHAC) will host a wellness evening in the Riverview Middle School auditorium on Wednesday, April 25th at 7:00pm. DHAC wellness initiatives will be the focus of the evening with several schools providing examples of what they are doing to promote and support student wellness. District initiatives like Go Girl will also be presented and Chartwells, the district's food service provider, will also present. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

District 2 will be hosting our annual French Public Speaking competition on Thursday, April 26th at 6:30pm at Riverview Middle School. For more information contact Donna LeBlanc, Supervisor of French Second Language Programs, at 856-3621.

District 2 celebrated the 7th annual Global Youth Service Day by creating "Welcome Bags" for all new international students to our schools. Some of the items included in the bag were a picture dictionary, The Canadian Experience, and community items. These bags will continue to be available for new international students as they arrive at District 2 schools. For more information contact Sandra Foreman, International Language Co-Coordinator, at 856-2216.

Harrison Trimble students have adopted Master Bombardier Chris LeBlanc as a Trojan. They are sending letters as well as pooling donations to send items to him and other members of his regiment the 2nd Royal Canadian Horse Artillery while they are stationed in Afghanistan. For more information contact Tami VanWart, Acting Principal at Harrison Trimble High School, at 856-2720.

Congratulations to the authors and illustrators of two books chosen to be published from the "Ryan Gunn Write for Fun" grade 3 to 5 enrichment project. They are "Madison and Ashley" written and illustrated by Amanda MacLeod from Gunningsville School and "The Escape of the Gingerbread Man" written and illustrated by Jackson Malone, Dave Thomas, and Drew Arsenault from Port Elgin Regional School. For more information contact Ginny Hill, Enrichment Consultant, at 856-3011.

Intensive French parent information sessions will be held at West Riverview School on April 23rd at 6:30pm and at Queen Elizabeth School on April 24th at 6:30pm.

The District Education Council will hold its regularly scheduled meeting this Thursday, April 19th at 7:00pm, at 1077 St. George Blvd in the board room. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

Throughout the week of April 16-20, Gunningsville School will be holding various activities to celebrate Earth Week. Gunningsville School, which is a recognized Earth School, will be having "green announcements" made daily by students, litter less lunches, students will be reading environmental stories and writing poems with an environmental theme. Students will "wear green" on Thursday, April 19th and a school grounds clean-up on Friday, April 20 will be completed in conjunction with the town of Riverview's community clean-up. For more information contact Adam Rogerson, Principal of Gunningsville School, at 856-3415.

It's a very busy week for High School Drama productions. Bernice MacNaughton has, "West Side Story", Moncton High has, "The Fantasticks", JMA Armstrong/Salisbury Middle has, and "The Miracle Worker" and Riverview has, "Nunsense". For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

On April 17th, 18th and 19th more than 1,500 grade 11 students from School District 2 are expected to visit The Moncton Hospital during a unique career choice experience. During this innovative career fair there will be approximately thirty booths displaying information related to hundreds of careers employed within SERHA. Brochures will be made available on each career profiled during this career fair and they can also be found on SERHA website. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

School District 2, in partnership with the Department of Education and SERHA, will be hosting Internet Safety Lawyer, Parry Aftab, from April 16th to April 18th. The focus of the events will be Cyberbullying and Internet Safety. Ms. Aftab specializes in the areas of cyberlaw, best practices, privacy, uses and abuses of interactive technologies, from social networking to mobile phones, to interactive games and the Internet itself. Her web site gives a wealth of information on her personal mission and her programs. Visit her website, aftab.com. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

All District schools will be closed on Tuesday, May 22nd for an NBTA meeting.

The Harrison Trimble High School grad class of 2007 will be bagging groceries at the Trinity Superstore on Saturday, April 7th from 10:00am until 5:00pm. All funds raised will be used to help offset the cost of Prom, Safe Grad, and Graduation. For more information contact Tami VanWart, Acting Principal of Harrison Trimble High School, at 856-3720.

Students from Frank L. Bowser School held a Muscular Dystrophy Awareness assembly and Hop-a-Thon fundraiser to raise awareness on this debilitating disease. Students viewed a video, read books, and finally hopped for 5 minutes to fulfill their pledge requirements. More than $2,700 was raised for this worthy cause. Bravo!

In District 2's continued efforts to promote health and wellness among students, staff, and community members, Gunningsville School issued an inter-school challenge to "Walk Across Canada". Students, staff, and parents walked the trail around the playground and, during the winter, in the gym. Gunningsville has met the challenge! As a community they walked/jogged over 6000km since September, 2006 and have now reached the city "Vancouver". For more information contact Adam Rogerson, Principal of Gunningsville School, at 856-3415.

Forest Glen School students were challenged to read 10,000 books between February and June. They have read 10,171 books in just 7 weeks and now Principal, Karen Nelson, has to kiss a real pig. It must be a real pig, not a paper pig, not a stuffed pig, but a real pink pig! This incredible event will occur on Friday, April 13th at 12:30pm in the school's gym. For more information contact Karen Nelson, Principal of Forest Glen School, at 856-3414.

Soprano, Leslie Lake-Searle, will be visiting the Grade 6-8 students at Port Elgin Regional School on April 11, 2007. The students will have an opportunity to participate in interactive sessions with Mrs. Lake-Searle during her visit. For more information contact Brian Dean, Principal of Port Elgin Regional School, at 538-2121.

South-East Regional Health Authority has teamed up with School District 2 to hold a Career Fair geared towards grade 11 students, from April 17 to 19, 2007 at The Moncton Hospital. This Career Fair will provide a unique opportunity to introduce young people to hundreds of career disciplines within a health care setting, from nursing, social work and dietitians to electricians, administrative assistants and engineering. Students will gain the practical information necessary to help them make important educational and career decisions. More than 1,500 students are expected to attend the fair, which aligns with the Health Authority’s strategic priority to promote healthy communities and healthy workplaces. For more information please see http://www.serha.ca/serha_new/careerfair/index.php.

All District 2 schools are closed for students and staff on Good Friday, April 6th and Easter Monday, April 9th. Classes will resume on Tuesday, April 10th. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

All District 2 schools will be closed for students on Wednesday, April 4th for parent/teacher interviews. Staff from various schools will also be participating in school-based professional development that day. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

All District 2 schools will be closed for students on Thursday, April 5th as a Curriculum Support Day is being held at Mount Allison University in Convocation Hall. Special guest Richard Lavoie (www.ricklavoie.com) holds three degrees in Special Education and has served as an adjunct professor for visiting lecturer at numerous universities including Syracuse, Harvard, Alabama and Georgetown. The title of his presentation will be "Batteries Not Included: Motivating the Reluctant Learner". All teachers who teach a subject in French (French Immersion, Core, Specialists) will also participate in an afternoon session with presenter Jim Howden in the Music Conservatory at Mount Allison. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

Al Cassie, a Beaverbrook School parent, launched his CD, "Open Our Eyes to Inclusion", on March 22 at Beaverbrook School. The K-8 students intently listened and enjoyed Al's songs and messages about the importance of inclusion.

Evergreen Park School recently hosted a very successful Health Fair for grade 6 to 8 students. The event focused on Food Talk with a registered dietician, Youth Booth with representatives from the YMCA, and a Food Expo prepared by staff and students. Great examples on how to fuel up with healthy choices everyday!

We are pleased to announce the one-year secondment of Ken Menchions to the position of Learning Specialist. Ken will join the District 2 curriculum team for the 2007-2008 school year working in the areas of Literacy and Math and will work closely with District 2 resource teachers. Craig Hutchings will assume the role of Acting Principal of Edith Cavell School during Ken's absence. Craig is currently the Vice-Principal of Marshview Middle. Elizabeth Nowlan, Vice-Principal of JMA Armstrong/Salisbury Middle School, has been seconded as a Learning Specialist at the District office for the 2007-2008 school year. She will have responsibility in the area of assessment. Darlene Keirstead will be assuming the role of Enrichment Coordinator for the school district in 2007-2008. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

We are pleased to announce that following interviews, Stephanie Prosser has been selected as Vice-Principal of Salem Elementary School and Carol Northrup-Davis has been selected as Vice-Principal of Frank L. Bowser School. Both appointments are for five-year terms beginning in 2007-2008. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

Four students from Moncton High School along with their Media Productions teacher, Mrs. Barrett, were recently recognized in Ottawa as one of 10 award winners in a National Racism Video Competition. During their visit the students attended a session of Parliament, during question period, and visited several other local historical sites. The students commented: "It was our intent to show that people have much in common that unites us; yet to still embrace our difference, for that's what makes us unique. We are the generation of tomorrow, and we don't want to live in a world where people are judged and defined by their race or religion. We made this video in hopes that it would make you stop and think and that it would make a difference. We feel as though we have accomplished that." Well said - congratulations!

A group of Education Supervisors and school-based administrators will be participating in "Coaching Training" for Professional Learning Communities in the next few months. The first two days of this training will be in Fredericton on Monday, March 26th and Tuesday, March 27th. For more information contact Gregg Ingersoll, Positive Learning Environment Supervisor, at 869-6077.

One teacher from each District 2 school will receive Smart Board training from our Technology Mentors on Tuesday, March 27th at Edith Cavell School. Smart Boards are becoming increasingly common in our schools and they provide a wonderful range of teaching opportunities to enhance learning for our students. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

Hillcrest School hosted the grand opening of its new climbing wall on Wednesday, March 21st, at 10:00am in the school's gym. Many community partners supported the school in completing this project. For more information contact Mike Belong, Principal, Hillcrest School, at 856-3419.

A volunteer group of artists from Mount Allison University under the direction of Suzette Kean painted an incredible mural at Marshview Middle School during the March break. What an exciting addition to the school from the community.

Gunningsville School participated in the Reading is Wild program with the Moncton Wild Cats hockey team. The students read an impressive 8,860 books in just five weeks! RBC generously donated $3,000.00 to the school library for their efforts.

Riverview Middle School students contribute to the Best Sellers campaign! During this month's Media Studies unit, grade 7 Language Arts classes organized a school-wide fundraiser "Your Change Can Make a Change" to raise money for Best Sellers. Students from the grade 7 Pink Panther team worked extremely hard to design posters, create commercials, and media releases. They will collect change in boxes they designed between March 19th and 23rd.

The District Education Council will hold its regularly scheduled meeting this Wednesday, March 21st, at 7:00pm, at 1077 St. George Blvd in the board room. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

Lewisville Middle School will be hosting its annual "Leadership Day" on Tuesday, March 20th. Students from the East End school community attend this special event. For more information contact Sue Kelly, Principal, Lewisville Middle School, at 856-3474.

The District Education Council (DEC) for School District 2 will be hosting councils from the other Anglophone school districts in the province on Friday, March 23rd and Saturday, March 24th. The group will be involved in a variety of training sessions to assist them in better providing support and direction to their respective districts. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

Students from Mrs. Lafford's grade 7 English Language Arts class at Marshview Middle School will be participating in "The Colville Project" in collaboration with the Owens Art Gallery. They will examine the art of Alex Colville, particularly pieces from his years in Sackville. The results of the student work will be used to create a printed guide for young visitors to the gallery. For more information contact Diane Murray Barker, Principal, Marshview School, at 364-4086.

David Wheaton will be returning from a deferred leave to take on the role of the administrator of the Alternate School for the 2007-2008 school year. Mr. Wheaton will replace Joe Grondin for one year as Mr. Grondin will be on sabbatical. Joel Mawhinney will remain at Evergreen Park School as Acting Principal for another year and Brenda Mawhinney will remain at Claude D. Taylor School as Acting Principal. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

A link to Internet101, an aggregator of web resources on internet safety, has been placed in the Links section of our website. From Internet101:

"Internet 101 is not intended to replace other online resources, but rather to be a 'gateway' to existing websites (recognized and used by police themselves). It is also a collection of presentations, safety tips and other resources contributed by educational partners for the benefit of parents, teachers and police across Canada.

We are committed to providing a safe and positive experience for families who use the internet. Our goal is to become a national leader in promoting internet safety for youth, in partnership with local law enforcement and community groups. Besides sharing our own information and resources, we encourage other agencies to join us in promoting safe internet habits to our communities."

The high school course selection handbook (also found on the site menu) has been updated for the upcoming school year.

"Exploring Charlotte's Web" through art and writing will be the focus of a congregated enrichment day workshop on Tuesday, March 13th. Selected grade 1 and 2 students will have a fun day at Edith Cavell School using numerous activities to explore E.B. White's classic story. Dianne Ryan, a well known local illustrator of children's books, will be the facilitator. For more information contact Ginny Hill, Enrichment Teacher, Edith Cavell School, at 856-3011.

Salem Elementary School celebrated their 4th Annual HARE PJ Breakfast. Over 400 students and staff had a healthy pancake breakfast prepared by Principal Duane McLellan and Acting Vice Principal Stephanie Prosser. A very busy early morning start for Salem's administrators!

The Riverview High School improv team recently finished first in the Moncton Regional Improv Tournament. Nine other teams from New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island competed and Riverview earned the right to compete in the Canadian Improv Games in Ottawa from April 2nd to the 7th. For more information contact Doug Prescott, Principal, Riverview High School, at 856-3470.

Havelock School kicked off Nutrition Month by serving students their favorite snack of veggies and dip. Throughout the year all students are served a variety of nutritional snacks, whether for breakfast or midway through the day. The focus for this month is to instill in all the students the importance of a good breakfast. Fuel up with healthy food choices!

Three teachers from each of our eight high schools have been chosen to participate in a two-day session on Differentiated Instruction. The sessions being held on Thursday, March 15th and Friday, March 16th at Edith Cavell will focus on differentiated instruction and assessment in the classroom to meet the varied styles and developmental abilities of students in high school classrooms. For more information contact Gregg Ingersoll, Education Supervisor School District 2, at 856-3635.

The Mighty Sprouts (K-2 students) at Magnetic Hill School recently completed a six-week, multi-age event. Tai Chi, dance, stories, games, tangrams, and calligraphy were some of the fun activities they participated in.

It is that time of year again when school closures due to inclement weather become a possibility. A letter containing a review of our procedures and your options as parents/guardians under these circumstances is available here.

The grade 5-8 students at Beaverbrook School present Wax Works 2007, a celebration of Canadian culture. This interactive presentation will be Wednesday, February 28th, in the gym from 6:00pm to 7:30pm. Come and see their inventive salute to success, ingenuity, and accomplishment in several genres of Canadian culture. For more information contact Marilyn McAllister Munn, Principal of Beaverbrook School, at 856-3403.

JMA Armstrong High/Salisbury Middle School hosts the JMA Idol competition this Wednesday, February 28th at 7:00pm. This is the fifth year for the event and interest grows every year. Twenty-five students auditioned for this year's event. The two winners from the event will advance to the Moncton Icon competition. All proceeds are donated to the Tree of Hope Campaign. For more information contact William Robinson, Principal of JMA Armstrong/Salisbury Middle School, at 372-3210.

On Thursday, March 1st from 9:00am to 1:00pm the Magnetic Hill Zoo will host the Robert Bateman "Get to Know" event with its focus on developing the skills to properly care for our planet. Forty grade 4 students from Forest Glen School will participate for the day in presentations and workshops. The 2006 national contest winners' projects will be on display as well. The zoo will be the permanent host of these projects. For more information contact Karen Nelson, Principal of Forest Glen School, at 856-3414.

Madame Smith's grade 3 Immersion class at Birchmount School recently celebrated Mozart's 251st birthday. They participated in a multi-age, cross-curricular day of learning. What a great way to teach about an amazing composer.

On Thursday, February 22nd, the staff and students of Sunny Brae Middle School invited parents, educators, and interested members of the public to join their grade 7 students as they demonstrated how they are using notebook (laptop) computers. The turnout was fantastic! The students led their parents through selected work in various subject areas. For more information contact Gerry Caron, Principal of Sunny Brae Middle School, at 856-3459.

Ron Hooper, a retired teacher from Petitcodiac Regional School, has been recognized at the NBIAA Final 12 Basketball Tournament for exemplary service and commitment to coaching. Ron has coached at least one basketball team (more than one for several years) for 50 years at Petitcodiac Regional, from 1957 to 2007. A remarkable accomplishment in itself. In coaching over 4000 basketball games at the school and for the community, Ron has never been assessed a technical foul. He is not only a committed community and school coach but also reflects the highest of expectations for his own behavior. Congratulations Ron Hooper!

There will be a series of information meetings regarding the Intensive French program at various schools. For more information please see this letter that was sent home to parents/guardians of grade 3/4 students. The meeting schedule is as follows:

The District Education Council will hold its regularly scheduled meeting this Wednesday, February 21st, at 7:00pm, at 1077 St. George Blvd in the board room. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

The Caledonia JV Tigers defeated Grand Manan Breakers 78-56 in the provincial final in Fredericton on Saturday, February 10th. Semi-final play saw the Hartland Huskies go down to the Tigers 86-71. Congratulations to the Tigers and to Coach Neil Boyce and Assistant Coach Dana Cross.

On Thursday, February 22nd, at 6:30pm the staff and students of Sunny Brae Middle School are inviting parents, educators, and interested members of the public to join their grade 7 students as they demonstrate how they are using notebook (laptop) computers in meeting educational curriculum outcomes. For more information contact Gerry Caron, Principal, Sunny Brae Middle School, at 856-3459.

Students and staff of Dorchester School, in partnership with the Dorchester Lions Club, will hold a community breakfast from 7:30am to 11:00am on Saturday, February 24th. All proceeds from the breakfast are going to support District 2's Best Sellers Library Campaign. For more information contact Don Peters, Principal, Dorchester School, at 379-3000.

Friends of the Trojans are hosting their annual dinner auction on Saturday evening, February 24th in the Harrison Trimble gymnasium. This is the first time the school has been able to host the event there. For more information contact Tami VanWart, Acting Principal, Harrison Trimble High School, at 856-3417.

A new section has been added to the website with information about School District 2's English Additional Language Programs.

Heritage Week will be observed in several of our schools this week. The focus of the week will be "Our Rights, Our Freedoms, Our Heritage". Registered schools will also participate in a Regional Heritage Fair scheduled for May 2007 at Riverside Consolidated School. For more information contact Ginny Hill, Enrichment Consultant, Edith Cavell School, at 856-3011.

On Thursday, February 15th, at 10:30am, Edith Cavell will be the host of a Citizenship Ceremony. Approximately 60 new Canadians will receive their official Canadian citizenship at this ceremony which also just happens to occur during the 60th anniversary of the Citizenship Act and on National Flag Day. For more information contact Ken Menchions, Principal, Edith Cavell School, at 856-3473.

Mike Bell has been appointed the Acting Vice-Principal at Beaverbrook School for the remainder of the 2006-2007 school year. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

Every Tuesday during the month of February the Riverview community of schools hosts a water polo event for participating grade 5 students at the Riverview High pool. Students eagerly anticipate this annual event and the competition is always friendly and fun. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

Mandarin will be offered this semester at Bernice MacNaughton for students from our four greater Moncton high schools. The course, "Introduction to Chinese Language", will be provided in partnership with Atlantic Education International Inc. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

"Lights, Action, Drama", an enrichment congregated day for identified grade 11 and 12 students from our high schools, will be held at Mapleton Lodge on Tuesday, February 6th. For more information contact Ginny Hill, Enrichment Consultant, Edith Cavell School, at 856-3011.

The First Annual District 2 Spelling Bee will be hosted at Lewisville Middle School on Wednesday, February 7th at 6pm. Each school has been invited to send two representatives and they may come from grades 5 through 8. They will be using the Can West Spell National Spelling Bee program (www.canspell.com). For more information contact Sue Kelly, Principal of Lewisville Middle School, at 856-3474.

Queen Elizabeth School's Literacy Coordinator, Christina Ross, explains the rules of the school's spelling bee. Seated in the background are 50 students who competed for positions to represent Queen Elizabeth at the upcoming District spelling bee.

Brenda Geneau has been appointed the Acting Principal of Lower Coverdale School for the remainder of the school year 2006-2007. Jocelyn Carter has been appointed the Acting Vice Principal at Arnold H. McLeod School to replace Ms. Geneau. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

A celebration was held today to officially open the brand new $3.6 million Havelock School.

Premier Shawn Graham, Education Minister Kelly Lamrock, students, teachers, parents and School District 2 representatives attended the event.

"Today's event marks a special day for the students, teachers and parents of Havelock School," Graham said. "A new school for this community was necessary, and the new Havelock School will serve the needs of students, teachers, and the community for many years to come."

The Havelock School is a one-storey, 1,824 sq m (19,634 sq ft) building. It has a kindergarten classroom, five regular classrooms, one resource and methods room, a library, a combined music and art room, and a large multi-purpose room that serves as a physical education area and cafeteria. In addition, site improvements were made to the outdoor playing field, busing lane and parking lot.

The school was also built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) specifications and is registered with the Canada Green Building Council. The LEED program is a voluntary, nationally recognized based standard for developing high-performance, environmentally-efficient and sustainable buildings.

"Opening a new school reminds us of the important role education plays for the future of our province," the premier said. "We have a vision of New Brunswick being a self-sufficient province, and among the ways this will be achieved is to build the best education system in the country."

(Story from the NB Department of Education, picture from Geoff Douglas.)

"Chess Challenge 2007" will be hosted at Bernice MacNaughton High School on Saturday, February 3rd. The Annual District 2 Chess Championship will be open to all K-12 students who have qualified at their respective schools and will be a qualifier for the provincial championship. Over 175 participants are expected. For more information contact Ginny Hill, Enrichment Consultant, Edith Cavell School, at 856-3011.

The two Kindergarten classes at Queen Elizabeth School celebrated the Chinese New Year on Friday, January 26, 2007. Good luck messages were sent, dragons and brightly coloured lanterns were constructed for the parade around the school, and Chinese noodles and rice were cooked for this special day. To all our friends in District 2, "Gung Hey Fat Choy!" (Happy New Year!) for the 2007 zodiac Year of the Pig!

School District 2's Best Sellers Library Campaign recently received a contribution of $7,500 from the organizing committee of the Legs for Literacy Marathon. A heart-felt thank you to the many staff and students who participated in this event either as runners or as volunteers - truly a tremendous success! We have now reached over $852,000 in pledges.

School District 2 is pleased to announce the following recipients of Education Leaves for the school year 2007-2008. Those receiving one year leaves are: Lena Cormier, Joseph Grondin, Renée Landry, Blaine MacIsaac, Karen Stewart, and Kevin Williams. In addition, Nancy Mellish received a six month leave, France Côte Allain received a five month leave, and Lori Ward received a four month leave. Such Education Leaves involve an application process and are granted in the areas of teacher retraining, specialization, or professional growth. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

The Bernice MacNaughton Bike Club is still a beehive of activity. They continue to receive donations and support for their project. An 80-inch Harley Davidson Evolution engine was donated by Harley Davidson and other contributing partners. They are even exploring the opportunity for an "American/Canadian High School Bobber Build Off". The nine regular members of the club have also been involved with two custom Chopper bicycles, two antique bicycle restorations, and work on a 70's Radio Flyer wagon. For more information contact Gary Wilson, Principal of Bernice MacNaughton High School, at 856-3469.

An Intensive Core French program is currently being piloted in School District 2 to improve the French second language capability of students in the English program. It is a different approach to teaching Core French. For more information watch this video on the Intensive French Program (Windows Media).

Now available is a list of links leading to French Second Language resources for students, parents, and teachers. These resources are and will remain available in the French Second Language Programs section.

Thanks to an excellent suggestion from Bernie Connors, NB Local Government, and Google Maps, we now an interactive map of School District 2 schools.

The official opening of the new Havelock School will take place Wednesday, January 31st, at 8:30 am at the school. This will indeed be a very exciting day for the community, staff, and students of the school. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

Participating Grade 6 and 7 boys from selected schools will be enjoying a congregated day enrichment workshop with a focus on comics on Wednesday, January 24th. District 2 teacher, Scott Tingley, will teach the participants how to create comic pages from an idea through to a finished product. Graphic Novels are becoming a much more integral part of our literacy focus. For more information contact Ginny Hill, Enrichment Consultant, Edith Cavell School, at 856-3011.

District 2 welcome's Debbie Brine to our District. Debbie was recently hired as a Career Counselor Consultant. During this one year appointment she will be working with our high schools to create workplace and apprenticeship opportunities for our students. She will also be working to get accurate and up to date information to our guidance counselors on current local employment opportunities for our students. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

The Legs for Literacy Marathon organizing committee will do a cheque presentation to School District 2's Best Sellers Library Campaign. The presentation will take place at The Running Room at 6pm on Wednesday, January 24th. For more information contact Alissa Deware, Capital Funds Assistant, Best Sellers Library Campaign, at 869-6004.

Our first district high school drama production, FAME, was a tremendous success. Seven performances were sold out, and even the additional show added sold out in less than a day! The partnership with the Capital Theatre allowed us to put on a truly professional show. Thanks to all the teachers who helped, the students who performed, the parents who provided support and assistance and most of all, to all of you who went to see the performance. By your enthusiastic responses we can agree that a good time was had by all!

Dr. Parry Aftab presented a session on internet safety to students and staff from Sunny Brae Middle School prior to Christmas. The presentation also involved students and staff from other schools through a web cast. The use of technology is increasingly becoming an effective tool to teach our students and many of our District 2 staff are at the forefront in using this new technology. Pictures below, from left to right, are Sunny Brae Principal Gerry Caron, student Jocelyn Shaeffer, Dr. Aftab, and student Emily Nickerson.

The District Education Council will hold their regular public meeting this Wednesday, January 17th, at 7:00 pm, at 1077 St. George Blvd. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

The New Brunswick Youth Orchestra will be performing for several District 2 schools on Monday, January 15th. The concert will be presented in the Bernice MacNaughton auditorium and will involve the performance of a wide variety of musical pieces. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

Several Principals from District 2 schools will be participating in an "Interwise Connect" training session Friday morning January 19th. The "Interwise Connect" system gives us the ability to conference online with multiple individuals. This system should help reduce the need for many centralized meetings. This technology will also allow some meetings to be conducted without even leaving our offices. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

The Town of Riverview took some aerial photos of District 2 schools in Riverview. Pictured below, from top to bottom and left to right, are the schools Claude D. Taylor, Gunningsville, Riverview High, Riverview Middle and Frank L. Bowser, and West Riverview. Click on the pictures for a larger version.

School District 2 is pleased to announce a district-wide drama initiative. Over 90 students and staff from six of our high schools have been practicing five to seven days a week since October to prepare for opening night. "Fame the Musical" will be presented at the Capitol Theatre on January 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th beginning each evening at 7pm. In addition, a dinner theatre option is available in conjunction with the Saturday evening performance.

Fame follows a group of students as they go through four years in the New York High School for the Performing Arts. They experience success and failure, learn the difference between talent and effort, and grow to appreciate themselves and their friends in a whole new way. While learning such life lessons, these students are performing in over a dozen high energy musical numbers, solos, duets, and dance ensembles - all of which you can experience at the Capitol Theatre in January.

Tickets can be purchased at the Capitol Theatre box office by calling 856-4379 or by visiting the Capitol Theatre's website. The cost is $10 for students and $15 for adults. Tickets will have the additional Capital Theatre Improvement Fund (CIF) donation added on at the time of purchase.

For more information please contact Michael McArdle, Fame Liaison, at 856-3439.

District 2 schools will close Friday, December 22nd, at 12 noon for students to begin their Christmas holidays. Schools will resume classes Monday, January 8th, 2007. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

A great big thank you to everyone involved in this year's Fill The Bus campaign to collect food for the food banks in our community. Together we collected over 17,000 pounds of food! Way to go everyone!

Superintendent Karen Branscombe presented Lindsey Vowles, a grade eight student at Magnetic Hill School, a copy of our District 2 Christmas Card. The card is Lindsey's art work!

Students from Evergreen Park School collected and donated toys to Headstart's Toyland. These toys will be given to children from needy families in our community. Evergreen's Alpha Stars Leadership Group also raised $350 to contribute to this worthwhile initiative. Many District 2 schools have worked on similar campaigns to support and assist others. Well done!

Now available is the listing of Christmas concerts and special events happening around School District 2 this holiday season.

Christmas time is a wonderful time of year to give. Over the past 5 years, students and staff in our 38 schools have collected over 50,000 pounds of food for the food banks in our community. We are encouraging our generous community to get involved again this year. We are excited to "tip" off our campaign at the Irving Oil Boys Hoop Classic where non-perishable food items will be collected. Also new this year, we are extending an invitation to the business community to get on board.

Our district will be working together to fill more then one of our "Big Yellow" school buses with non-perishable food items for the many food banks and soup kitchens in the southeast region, from Port Elgin to Petitcodiac.

The Fill the Bus Campaign can start anytime with pick-up scheduled for December 20th. Working with Food Depot de la Nourriture, all students, employees, as well as our local school communities are each asked to donate non-perishable food items for our families in need.

In the past, our schools have collected dry food packages such as Hamburger Helper, Instant Pasta, Rice Pouches, Instant Soups, Macaroni and Cheese products, etc. All food collected is distributed back to the communities we serve.

Thanks for getting involved in this year's campaign! If your office or company wants to help "fill the bus" contact Aubrey Kirkpatrick at 856-3616 or aubrey.kirkpatrick@gnb.ca.

The District Education Council will hold its regularly scheduled meeting this Wednesday, December 13th, at 7:00pm at 1077 St. George Blvd in the board room. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

Principals will meet Thursday, December 14th, at Crystal Palace. The afternoon session will be a presentation from Parry Aftab, an expert on Internet Law. She has founded and now heads the largest internet safety group, Wired Safety. She presents a sound, balanced approach to children's online safety. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

Ninety Birchmount students in grades 4 to 8 will be presenting performances of the one-act musical play "A Storybook Christmas" by Emily Crocker and John Higgins. The show starts at 7:00 pm on December 14th and 15th and will last about 45 minutes. The performances are suitable for the whole family, even pre-schoolers aged 3 & 4. The fun takes place in Santa's toy shop at the North Pole, where the elves are busy preparing for the big day. Come and see what happens when a bright young elf decides that the fairytales need updating - it's Red Riding Hood, the Big Bad Wolf, and the Three Little Pigs as you've never seen them before! Tickets are $5.00 for adults and $2.00 for students and will be available in early December at Birchmount School. For more information contact Ken Frost, Principal of Birchmount School, at 856-3405.

• Who: Supply teachers with a minimum of Advanced French Proficiency.
• What: Intensive French Program in-service - learn some of the teaching strategies used to develop written, oral, and reading competencies.
• When: December 5th, 4pm to 6pm.
• Where: Edith Cavell Scholl, small conference room.
• How: Sign up in the PD section.

In September 2004, Mayor Lorne Mitton created a volunteer committee called the Youth Advisory Committee to focus on Moncton's youth. The advisory committee is made up of citizens who are interested in enhancing the quality of life for Moncton's youth communities.

The Mayor's Youth Advisory Committee is responsible for organizing YouthFest, an annual public forum to discuss issues of interest to youth. The Youth Advisory Committee will allow Moncton's youth to have a voice and to organize an event that will bring together other youth in the area.

For more information, please see http://www.moncton.ca/youthfest/. A link to the YouthFest site can also be found on our left-hand menu under "External Sites".

"Kaboom Ice Rink Art" will be the focus of a congregated day enrichment workshop on Tuesday, November 28th in the Moncton Coliseum Mezzanine. Twelve middle schools will be sending selected Art students to spend the day working on a creative art display in partnership with the City of Moncton's Recreation and Culture Department. They will be creating panels to be part of the new "Kaboom Ice Rink" in Centennial Park. This outdoor skating/hockey rink will be constructed on Friday, November 30th. For more information contact Ginny Hill, Enrichment Consultant, at 856-3011.

On Thursday, November 30th, at 6:30pm TADD at JMA Armstrong High will be hosting a variety show to support the O'Dell Family Trust Fund. There will be a silent auction, bake sale, and a 50/50 draw throughout the evening. Tickets for the evening are available at the school office for $5.00 each. Ivan and Vivian Hicks, teachers and students will be the evening's entertainment. For more information contact William Robinson, Principal of JMA Armstrong Salisbury Middle School, at 372-3210.

Leah Williams (pictured below right), a Physical Education teacher at Hillsborough Elementary and Caledonia Regional, was recently recognized with the Physical Education Teacher of the Year Award for District 2. The New Brunswick Physical Education Society selects these recipients from many deserving teachers for all school districts in New Brunswick. For more information contact Monique McTiernan-Black, Physical Education Mentor, at 856-3321.

"Latin is Alive and Well" will be the focus of an enrichment congregated day on Thursday, November 30th, for selected grades 5 and 6 students from various District 2 schools. Kevin Powers will Latin-ize participating students and help them realize Latin is not dead but is alive all around us. This event will occur at Edith Cavell School. For more information contact Ginny Hill, Enrichment Consultant, at 856-3011.

West Riverview School will be hosting a Multicultural Fair on Friday, December 1st. Several stations representing a variety of cultures will be available for the students to visit. The event will cumulate with a multicultural pot luck luncheon. For more information contact Diane Gillis, Principal of West Riverview School, at 856-3451.

Stephanie Prosser has been selected for the position of Acting Vice-Principal of Salem Elementary School. Her appointment is from January 2007 until the end of the school year. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

Many District 2 staff attended the recent Moncton Progress Club Antler Breakfast in support of local hospital children's paediatric units. Another example of our tremendous community support!

Bernice MacNaughton High School is holding a raffle to win a homemade kayak in support of the District 2 Best Sellers Campaign. Tickets are available at BMHS and are $2 each or $5 for three. Draw date is November 28th. Be sure to buy your ticket for a chance to win!

Please be advised that the Minister of Education has given permission for December 22 to be a half day for students. Walking students will be dismissed at 11:30 am (or at each school's regular noon hour) and bus runs will be coordinated to start around that time.

Frank L. Bowser and Claude D. Taylor schools are hosting a book launch on Tuesday, November 21st, at 3pm in the auditorium of Riverview Middle School. The book, Écoles sans Frontières, was written as a partnership between students from New Brunswick and students from Romania on the occasion of the Francophone Summit held in September in Romania. For more information contact Carmen Peters, Principal of Frank L. Bowser School, at 856-3450.

As part of Addiction Awareness Week (November 20th to the 25th), School District 2, in partnership with Addiction Services, the RCMP, and the New Brunswick Federation of Home and School Association, will host a presentation entitled "Be Drugwise...Protect your Children from Drugs". The presentation will take place in the auditorium of Moncton High School on Thursday, November 23rd, at 7pm. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

Grades 5 to 8 students at Beaverbrook School will be participating in a unique inclusion activity this week. Students will spend a half-day "Walking a Mile" in someone else's shoes. Each student will spend time during the day with a physical impairment such as blindness, vision restrictions, loss of arm mobility, leg impairment, or hearing loss. Each of these conditions will be simulated by the use of equipment from APSEA or home made devices. For more information contact Marilyn McAllister Munn, Principal of Beaverbrook School, at 856-3403.

Ruth Reid, a retired teacher from Edith Cavell School, will be dedicating her book of poetry, Butterflies and Dreams, from 7pm to 8pm on Wednesday, November 22nd at Edith Cavell. Ruth still volunteers at the school teaching rhythm band to kindergarten, grade 1, and grade 2 students. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

Tantramar Regional High School will be hosting their 2nd Annual Christmas Craft Sale. This Student Council fundraiser will be held Saturday, November 18th from 10 am until 4 pm. Admission is $2.

The District Education Council will hold its regularly scheduled meeting this Wednesday, November 15th, at 7:00pm at 1077 St. George Blvd in the board room. All are welcome to attend. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

A Principals meeting will be held on Thursday, November 16th, when we will be presenting the Threat Assessment Protocol that our district will be adopting to deal with potential threats. This is a follow-up to the workshops that Kevin Cameron presented (Threat Assessment Level 1 and Threat Assessment Level 2). Members of the RCMP will also be in attendance. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

The students at Gunningsville School did an excellent job on their annual fund-raising walk-a-thon. They were able to exceed the school challenge, which means that Principal, Adam Rogerson, and Vice-Principal, Tina Manderville, will be receiving an "egg shampoo" at an assembly on Friday, November 17th. For more information contact Adam Rogerson, Principal of Gunningsville School, at 856-3416.

Members of the Tantramar Regional High School Ladies and Mens Hockey Teams, Student Council, and Leadership class visited Dorchester Consolidated School to read with the students and to donate some books to the school's library. The Shepody Chapter of the IODE sponsored the visit.

Convocation Hall at Mount Allison University will host the "Songs of Peace" concert on Monday, November 6th, from 7:00pm to 8:00pm. Five school choirs (Marshview Middle, Dorchester Consolidated, Port Elgin Regional, Salem Elementary, and Tantramar Regional) and one university choir will honour veterans with the gift of song. Certainly a special way to honour our veterans during this time of remembrance. For more information contact Tanya Bostick, Port Elgin Regional School, at 538-2121.

Provincial Principals Meetings will be held in St. Andrews on Wednesday, November 8th, and Thursday, November 9th. The theme of the meetings will be "Responding to Students' Needs." The keynote speaker will be Professor Wayne McKay. Professor McKay will speak on "Instructional Leaders' Role in Inclusive Education." For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

Enterprise Greater Moncton recently concluded a Marketing Research Rally that involved approximately 146 Entrepreneurship students from Bernice MacNaughton and Riverview High School. The students prepared group projects that were judged by representatives of the business community. Andre Maillet and Michael Vautour, both BMHS students, finished 1st; Erin McWilliams, Danielle Raftus and Thiago Zanardo, all RHS students finished 2nd ; and Jordan Stillman and Rob Write, also from RHS, finished 3rd. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

Selected grades 9-10 students from some of our high schools will be participating in an intensive two-day workshop on Thursday, November 9th and Friday, November 10th to help solve a "whodunit". They will be using logic, creativity, and literacy skills to help solve the mystery. Two Saint John writers, Valerie and Alastair Evans, will be assisted by Ginny Hill. For more information contact Ginny Hill, Enrichment Consultant, at 856-3011.

The Riverside Consolidated School technology class started the year off by making Flying Squirrel Nesting Boxes for a research project at Fundy National Park. This project, under the direction of Matthew Smith, is targeted at completing a census of the flying squirrel population. The class was treated to a visit by Rohan, an orphaned flying squirrel, who Matthew describes in his research and illustrated with slides. A great example of hands-on experience and community partnerships.

On Wednesday, November 1st, Grade 9 students from School District 2 and across the country will spend the day at work with a parent, relative or volunteer host. This project is intended to help students connect school, the world of work and their futures. The 12th annual "Take Our Kids to Work" is a national program with participation from all provinces and territories and more than 1.3 million students and 75,000 workplaces participating! Students receive information and instructions in their classes prior to participating in this opportunity. If you want more information go to: http://www.takeourkidstowork.ca/ . We will have approximately 1,250 Grade 9 students participating from our eight high schools. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

On Wednesday, November 1st and Thursday, November 2nd workshop participants will receive support and advice on successful techniques to assist in establishing collaborative groups within school teaching staffs. Claudette Landry will provide instructional leadership to the administrators as they work on the Adaptive School model in the Leadership at Work focus. For more information contact Gregg Ingersoll, Positive Learning Supervisor, at 856-3635.

District 2 is hosting the Science Olympics 2006 for Grade 5-8 students at the Université de Moncton from 10:00am to 1:30pm on November 2nd, in the Jacqueline Bouchard Building. We have 144 students participating from 26 District 2 schools. A presentation from "Mad Science" will open the day followed by group activities requiring problem solving and scientific knowledge. For more information contact Ginny Hill, Enrichment Consultant, at 856-3011.

Schools in District 2 will be closed for students on Thursday, October 26th, as Parent Teacher Interviews are being hosted and teachers will be participating in school-based professional development. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

School District 2 will host its fall Curriculum Support Day on Friday, October 27th. Kindergarten to grade 8 teachers will meet at Harrison Trimble and grades 9 to 12 teachers and all Guidance Counsellors will meet at Riverview High. All schools in District 2 will be closed for students that day. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

Dorchester School has launched a unique fundraiser. They are selling donated, fresh, locally harvested cranberries for $2 per pound or $10 for 5 pounds. If you are interested contact Barbie Kaye at the school at 379-3000 or kayebars@nbed.nb.ca.

Reverend Dale Lang, from Taber, Alberta, will be speaking at Harrison Trimble on Monday morning October 23rd, Petitcodiac Regional Monday afternoon, and Riverview High School Tuesday morning, October 24th. Reverend Lang's son, Jason, was murdered at his High School in Taber in April 1999 by another student from his school. Reverend Lang will deliver a message on the challenges and rewards of forgiveness. During his visit to Harrison Trimble he will be introduced by Bob Clarke whose son Jeff, an HTHS grad, was murdered ten years ago. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications, at 869-6077.

Learning the basic skills of cartooning will be the focus of an enrichment workshop on Wednesday, October 25th, hosted by Edith Cavell School. Tom MacLean, a local cartoonist and member of the Writers in School group, will facilitate a select group grade 5 and/or 6 boys from invited schools. The workshop will use hands on techniques to create cartoons and the gags that go with them. This workshop will also work to enhance the Language Arts Curriculum outcomes by creating written texts using a variety of forms. For more information contact Ginny Hill, Enrichment Consultant, at 856-3011.

The District Education Council will hold its regularly scheduled meeting this Wednesday, October 18th, at 7:00pm, at 1077 St. George Blvd in the board room. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications at 869-6077.

This is School Bus Safety Week and this year's theme is "Think of Us, While We're on the Bus". All of us know how important bus safety is for our students. Did you know busses in our district travel over 12,100 kilometres each day and that we employ approximately 120 bus drivers? For more information contact Aubrey Kirkpatrick, Director of Finance and Administration at 856-3616.

On Tuesday, October 17th, a grade 3 or 4 student from each District 2 school will have an opportunity to participate in "Haunting Words", an enrichment writing workshop being held at Edith Cavell School. Dave Goss, New Brunswick's teller of tall tales and curious happenings, will host this workshop. For more information contact Ginny Hill, Enrichment Consultant at 856-3011.

The PSSC orientation evening is scheduled for Tuesday, October 17th, at 6:30pm in the Riverview Middle School auditorium. The District Education Council sponsors this evening and it allows them the opportunity to explain the District Improvement Plan and the governance structure to all PSSC members. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications at 869-6077.

On Friday, October 20th, all grade 8 girls from our schools (approximately 650) will participate in "Go Girl". This provincial initiative is created to provide girls the opportunities, inspiration, and support to participate in sport, recreation, and physical activities that can lead to an active lifestyle. The Université de Moncton and the Dundee Sports Dome will be home to our events. Flex and Tone, Judo, Ultimate Frisbee, Orienteering, and Fencing are some of the 16 activities that will be offered. District 2, Province of New Brunswick-Department of Wellness, Culture and Sport, City of Moncton, YMCA of Greater Moncton, Université de Moncton, Dundee Sports Dome, SERHA, Sport Canada and Sports, and Recreation Active Living Section are all working together to make this special day a success for the girls. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications at 869-6077.

Kindergarten registration for students who will be starting school in September 2007 will be from October 16th to 20th in all District 2 Schools. Parents should visit their neighborhood school between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm to register their child during that week. It is not necessary to make an appointment.

Children must be five before the end of December 2007, to be eligible to start school in September 2007.

Registration forms are available at schools and here on our website.

Parents will need to take the following information with them when they go to the school to register their child for kindergarten:

• Medicare card
• Immunization Records
• Proof of residence (copy of phone, electric bill, etc.)

It is important that all students who will be starting kindergarten in September 2007 are registered for school during the week of October 16th-20th. Parents and students will be invited to participate in special events throughout the school year to help with the transition to kindergarten.

If you require additional information, contact your neighborhood school or Katherine Jack, Education Supervisor for School District 2, at 856-3618.

Once again our schools have been active in many community events, particularly the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope and the Run for the Cure. Schools collected over $15,500 for the Terry Fox event and over $35,000 for the Run for the Cure. These successful events need many volunteers to be the successes they are. Thanks to all of you who volunteer at these and so many other worthwhile causes.

The RHS students and staff were committed to the CIBC Run for the Cure. Under the leadership of Charlotte Love and Shirley Whitehouse, the Royals displayed their enthusiasm by wearing their CIBC cure shirts and waving their Royal 'Red and White'. Along with securing 1st place in the Interschool Fundraising Challenge, three students also placed in individual running events. Katie Mille came in 1st and Lynsey Hachey 2nd in the ladies division and Ryan Allen placed 3rd in the men's division. Way to go Royals!

All School District 2 high schools will participate in Post-Secondary Visitation Days this week. On Tuesday, October 10th, from 7:00 - 8:30pm, all District 2 high school parents will have an opportunity to visit the potential sites at Moncton High. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications at 869-6077.

Several District 2 Guidance Counsellors will be participating in Threat Assessment Training Level One on Thursday, October 12th and Friday, October 13th at the new Future Inn in Moncton. This timely training should prove beneficial as we all continue to explore structures and procedures to make our schools more secure for all. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications at 869-6077.

Eight teachers from District 2 high schools will be participating in an Advanced Placement Conference at Kennebecasis Valley High School on Saturday, October 14th. Their schools are moving towards offering advanced placement (AP) courses. Many universities recognize theses courses and grant advanced standing upon admission. This has proven to be advantageous at schools where this is already being done. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications at 869-6077.

Mountain View School is holding its annual Harvest Supper on Saturday, October 14th, at 4:30pm at the Irishtown Community Center. The students serving this delicious meal will be dressed in period costume and will provide some light entertainment. The menu: Heavenly Harvest Baked Potato, Tasty Turnip Tidbits, Fresh Garden Carrots and Peas, Scrumptious Juicy Cooked Ham, and delicious Hot Apple Crisps with Vanilla Ice Cream. Ticket prices are Adults $9, Children $6 ,and Family special $30. Come experience the atmosphere and enjoy the food. For more information contact Angela Ralph, Principal, Mountain View School at 856-3441.

Birchmount School will be hosting their Annual Fall Fair this Saturday, September 30th, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The fair will include all kinds of games, activities, and a barbeque. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. For more information contact Ken Frost, Principal, Birchmount School at 856-3405.

"Latin at Lunchtime" is being offered at Moncton High by Kevin Powers (MHS Grad 1989). This noon hour enrichment opportunity currently has 14 students enrolled. Students will be taught the Latin language and some memorization techniques that will help in other subject areas. For more information contact Scott Steeves, Vice-Principal, Moncton High School at 856-3439.

International Walk to School Week (October 2-6) is upon us and many schools have special events planned to recognize and support Active Transportation like biking and walking. All Moncton schools that registered online, thanks to a sponsorship from the City of Moncton, were entered in to a draw for a class set of 30 Vitality Journals. Moncton schools that register and participate in at least 3 of the 5 days are entered in a draw for a class set of pedometers. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications at 869-6077.

World Teachers Day will be observed on Thursday, October 5th. "Quality Teachers for Quality Education" will be the theme. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools and Communications at 869-6077 or visit the web site at: http://www.ei-ie.org/worldteachersday/en/index.php.

Hillsborough Elementary School and Caledonia Regional High School had a visit from a hot air balloon recently. Students and staff were educated as to how the balloon is inflated and how the pilot maintains control over its flight. Barry Snider, a teacher at Hillsborough Elementary, organized the visit. He works on the organizing committee for the Sussex Balloon Festival.

After a successful implementation last year, we will see Tell Them From Me (TTFM), a student feedback program, introduced at more District 2 schools this fall. We have 21 schools participating now. This opportunity for regular feedback to schools from students and parents has proven to be very valuable to all participating schools. For more information contact Danny Coughlin, Supervisor of Student Services, at 856-3636.

Lise Bellefleur-Jonah, a parent of a student at Forest Glen School, volunteered for 40 hours at the school, particularly in Mme Catalli's grade 1 French Immersion class. Her employer, the Royal Bank, sent a check for $500 to the school in recognition of her efforts. So much of this type of volunteer support for our schools regularly occurs.

On Saturday, September 30th, at 2pm, the Owens Art Gallery in Sackville will launch "A Pocket Companion to the Owens Art Gallery: A Little Guide for Kids by Kids". The publication is the result of collaboration between the art gallery and Mrs. Demers grade 4 class at Port Elgin Regional School. The guide, a resource for other young visitors to the gallery, features photographs, drawings, and journal entries from the students' visits to the gallery. For more information contact Brian Dean, Principal, Port Elgin Regional School, at 538-2121.

Our Beginning Teacher Induction Program (BTIP) starts with a flourish this week. On Tuesday, September 26th, Early Years teachers, Wednesday, September 27th, Middle School teachers, and Thursday, September 28th, High School teachers will meet with a focus on classroom management skills. All participants are new teachers to the teaching profession and their success is of great importance to us. For more information contact David Cutler, Supervisor of Staffing, at 856-3632.

All schools will be hosting various forms of "Meet the Teacher" evenings over the next month. Schools will also host PSSC elections to fill the positions in this integral part of the governance system. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High School, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

Queen Elizabeth School recently hosted a special assembly in honour of the Moncton Mets, recent gold medal winners of the 2006 Canadian Senior Baseball Championship. Queen Elizabeth teacher Mike Ivey, an integral member of the championship team, was voted "best catcher in Canada" during the competition in Brandon, MB. Some of the Mets addressed the students on the importance of helping each other and working together as a team to achieve success.

Aliant Pioneers, an employee volunteer group, recently donated 50 book bags filled with school supplies to School District 2. Thanks to the Aliant Pioneers and all of the community groups committed to assisting our students in so many ways!

The District 2 Education Council recently re-elected its Chairperson, Mary O'Donnell, and Vice Chairperson, Kelly MacKinnon. These positions are for the 2006-2007 school year. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High School, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

The Province of New Brunswick is hosting the Canadian Student Leadership Conference from September 19th to the 23rd at Fredericton High School. Twelve Moncton High students have been very busy planning and organizing the pre-conference scheduled from September 17th to the 19th here in Moncton. Committee co-chair Remi Levesque, a teacher at Moncton High, and Moncton High School will play host to more than 250 student and advisor delegates for a three fun-filled days of activities in the District 2 area during the pre-conference. For more information contact Susan Ross, Principal, Moncton High School, at 856-3439.

The the 2006-2007 bus run listing is available in the Transportation section.

With the beginning of each new school year, the focus of the Transportation Department is on student safety. Please take the time with your child/children to go over the school bus safety rules. Expectations, rules, and consequences should be understood in order for them to be effective - parents, students, administrators, and school bus drivers all share the responsibility for safety on school buses. Please see:

• School Bus Safety Guidelines
• Policy 551 - Safe and Orderly Conduct on School Buses
• Policy 551, Appendix A - Student Misconduct: Offences and Consequences
• Policy 551, Appendix B - School Bus Safety Violation Ticket

Please note that there must be a parent or guardian waiting at the bus stop for K-2 children. If there is not someone available, the student will be returned to the school and their parent or guardian will be contacted to pick up the child.

Additionally, Policy 552: Student Conveyance - Alternate Location for Childcare and Policy 552 Appendix A: Request for Student Conveyance to an Alternate Location for Childcare have been revised.

Six students from Bernice MacNaughton High School and their teacher, Marc Mazerolle, constructed a chopper bicycle at the end of last school year. Mr. Mazerolle and the six students, Tyler Bridges, Matt Coffin, Cory Cormier, Samantha Henley, Justin Merrithew, and Shawn Theriault and the bicycle "Wendy" traveled to Grand Prairie, Alberta to meet motorcycle builders from across Canada and visit the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT). For more information contact Gary Wilson, Principal, Bernice MacNaughton High School, at 856-3469.

The District Education Council will hold its regularly scheduled meeting this Wednesday, September 13th, at 7:00pm at 1077 St. George Blvd in the board room. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High School, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

Margaret Eaton, a guidance counsellor at Salisbury Elementary School, is launching her first book on Sunday, September 10th, at Keillor House in Dorchester. The book of poetry is entitled "Seeking Grace". For more information contact Lily Adams, Principal, Salisbury Elementary School, at 372-3207.

The opening for the new Havelock School will be delayed by three days until Friday, September 8th. Although the majority of construction at the school has been completed, additional time is needed to equip and prepare the school for the arrival of students. "Everyone is looking forward to moving into the new Havelock School," said School District 2 Superintendent Karen Branscombe. "Given the importance of student and teacher safety, the decision has been made to delay the opening of the school." School staff will have access to the school soon and will begin the work of preparing classrooms for the arrival of the students on September 8th. It is of tremendous importance that parents and students respect the school work site and are encouraged to refrain from visiting the school until it opens on September 8th.

As previously announced, construction of the gymnasium will continue past the opening of the new Havelock School.

For more information, please contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High Schools, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

School District 2 will be involved in two upcoming events: Family Festival for Literacy and Eveningside - In the Tradition of Peter Gzowski. For more information please see this flyer.

School District 2 will be hosting Professor David Booth on August 8th at the Delta Beausejour. Mr. Booth is from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto. The workshop will focus on teaching strategies and understanding boys and girls and their world of literacy. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High School, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.

Charlene Vienneau has been appointed to the position of Acting Vice Principal of Sunny Brae Middle School for the 2006-2007 school year. For more information contact Norval McConnell, Supervisor of High School, Communication and Partnerships, at 869-6077.