November 2008 Boissevain School Newsletter

PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL

Mrs. Krista Clyne presented a new program called Roots of Empathy at the PAC meeting on October 20^th. The program emphasizes the importance of empathy and compassion while interacting with young children. The next meeting of the Parent Advisory Council is on November 10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Home Ec. room. Topics will be the regular agenda and presentation of the Phys. Ed Program for High School.

Executive members are: Mrs. Diane Hole (President), Mrs. Michelle Buhler (Vice President) and Mrs. Myrna Houston (Secretary).

REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE

This year’s Boissevain School Remembrance Day Service will be held Monday, November 10 at 11:00 a.m.! This service is always a special one, so please come and join us as we pay respects to our veterans.

SCHOOL WEBSITE

Don’t forget to bookmark the school web site: boissevainschool.ca. Please check out the high school teacher pages, each teacher has a simple (Wiki) page, which will inform students, parents and advisors of upcoming tests and assignments. Some will have other information as well. This initiative is part of our continuing effort to serve our community.

The school cafeteria provides an excellent choice of foods for our students. The menu is displayed on the school website with current prices and daily specials. Please check this menu to ensure that you have the accurate prices when sending your child’s order to the school. Thank You!

STUDENT LED CONFERENCES

SLC for all K-8 students will be held on November 12 from 6-8 p.m. Come out and share your child’s learning!

REPORTS

Reports for grades K - 12 will be been given to students on November 17. Parent/Teacher interviews are scheduled for November 19. If you wish an interview and are not scheduled for one, please contact the school. Boissevain School is in the process of revising their reporting procedures using a new program called Maplewood. We have successfully implemented the office component, attendance and High School marks and reports. It is at this time that the K – 8 reports are being changed and as with new technology there are growing pains. We recognize that it takes time to learn the proper steps to create these reports therefore you may see some reports created through Maplewood and you may see reports created as in the past years. Thank you for your understanding.

WINTER IS COMING!

Winter is on the way, and with it comes the possibility of poor weather. If a school closure is expected listen to the radio, in particular try CJRB, Mr. B. Lamb always has the correct information! Just as a reminder, if school buses are called off during the school day ONLY storm billets will be called, according to Division policy. For the complete school closure policy, go to the Turtle Mountain School Division website: www.tmsd.mb.ca.

GUIDANCE and COUNSELLING

by Mr. B. Birch

Is your child struggling? If so, the Student Assistance Program can help. The program aims to identify troubled students and connect them with helping services in the school and community. For more information, or if you have any other concerns, please contact Mr. Birch at 534-2494 or bbirch@tmsd.mb.ca.

PEER HELPERS

The Peer Helpers continue to meet monthly, with the purpose of addressing the needs and concerns of high school students. It is the belief of Peer Helping that peers are more understanding, accessible, and easier to approach than adults. Therefore students that have problems, or need someone to talk to, can connect with a Peer Helper for assistance. So if you are looking for help, the Peer Helpers are available.

Get to Know the Peer Helpers

How long have you been a Peer Helper and what is your favorite moment in Peer Helping?

Tricia Palmer – 4 years & at the retreat when Chelsea ran into the chair because Colin scared her

Jordyn Dickinson – 2 years & the 2008 retreat

Chelsea Leforte – 1 year & playing midnight poker at the retreat

Rebecca Turner – 1 year & seeing Big Daddy Tazz at the mental health awareness day

CAREER EDUCATION

Post Secondary Day - On Tuesday, October 28, the Grade 11 and 12 students attended sessions presented by various Manitoba colleges and universities. The purpose of the visit was to provide relevant, up to date post-secondary information to the students. Each presenter also set up a booth, where specific questions could be answered.

Take Our Kids to Work - As a part of Canada Career Week, Take Our Kids to Work Day will occur on Wednesday, November 5^th. All Grade 9 students are expected to spend a day at work with a parent, relative, or volunteer host.

Graduation & Scholarships - For more information about career options and scholarships, check out www.careercruising.com (username: manitoba362 password: careers) and www.studentawards.com. P.S. Don’t forget to check out the bulletin board across from Mr. Wettig’s classroom to find out about new scholarships.

CYBERBULLYING: WHAT CAN BE DONE?

From MySpace and Facebook to text messages, teens have many ways to stay in constant electronic contact with their peers. Even though it's an integral part of their social lives, cell phones and computers have become places where teens are at risk of getting bullied. Recent research shows that teens that are constantly plugged-in are at risk of "cyberbullying".

Cyberbullying refers to hurtful or embarrassing messages or images posted, sent, or shared on computers and cell phones through forums like chat rooms, message boards, blogs, websites, emails, webcams, camera phones, instant messages, and text messages. In some cases, passwords are stolen and messages are sent using an assumed identity.

In March 2007, an online survey conducted by the National Crime Prevention Council revealed that more than 43% of teens between the ages of 13 and 17 said they experienced cyberbullying in the past year. Of those 43%, only 10% of those victimized said they tell their parents about it. Teens also said that they are twice as likely to talk with a friend about the incident as to talk with their parents or another adult.

As cyberbullying continues to escalate, what can be done to prevent it?

The first step is talking with your kids about cyberbullying. Ask whether they have ever experienced it or heard about it happening to anyone else. Explain that you won't blame them for the incident and that you will work together to find a solution for it. It is important not to overreact to these situations by banning Internet access entirely because it may discourage kids from disclosing harassment to adults.

Instead, StaySafe.org suggests some steps for dealing with cyberbullies:

• Remind kids to always tell you or another adult if they are being bullied online.
• Tell kids to stop opening, reading, or responding to messages from the bully.
• Keep the messages, in case you need to take action with the Internet service provider or the police.
• Use blocking software to prevent bullies from contacting your kids through instant messaging programs.

In order to help reduce the risks when moving through cyberspace:

• Put the computer in a common area.
• Know the websites your kids use and visit.
• Set up joint email accounts with your children — make sure you know their screen names and passwords.
• Remind kids to never give out personal information (phone number, name, address, school name, age, passwords, etc.) or to share photographs or videos through cell phones or online.
• Prevent kids from entering private chat rooms (you can block them with safety features provided by your Internet service provider or with special filtering software).

Source: kidshealth.org

For more information, or if you have any questions, please contact Mr. Birch at 534-2494 or bbirch@tmsd.mb.ca.

STUDENT GOVERNMENT REPORT

by Ms. C. Dyck

We are in full swing with our spirit activities, and fundraisers. You may have seen photos of our volleyball home opener a few weeks ago. It was well attended, and because of that, Mr. Wettig graciously agreed to shave his head right then and there. There are only a couple of home games left, so don't miss the action. We had a school wide Hat and Jeans Day, over $300 was raised for our project this year. We are trying to raise enough money to purchase a fire fighting suit for our local Fire Dept. We will be doing more activities to help with that cause. We held our Halloween dance on October 27. As usual, a good time was had by all who attended. As you read this, we are preparing to go out on our annual Halloween Food drive, for our local food pantry. We have a great time doing this, and we are proud to help out our community! Some of the non-perishable items that are most needed are; fruit juice, pasta, cereal, canned fruits, and veggies, and small jars of cheez whiz, and peanut butter. Our students may be wearing costumes, but will have tags identifying them as members of the Student Government. Thank you in advance for your support.

FEDERAL ELECTION

by Mrs. D.J. Lamb

After learning about the government and the upcoming election on October 14th, Mrs. Lamb's Grade Five class headed to the Boissevain Community Centre to see the polling station.  Don Hole explained the voting process to the students as they observed a few voters casting their ballots.  The students themselves voted in class, but with different results.  NDP Candidate, John Bouche, won with the most votes followed by a tie between the Liberals and the Conservatives. 

LIBRARY BOOK FAIR

by Mrs. C. Kentner, Librarian

The Book Fair has ended for another year.  These words of thanks seem inadequate to express my appreciation to the following:  the Grade VII, ICT students for making the posters, the decorating committee from Grade X, the business’ who allowed me to put up posters, the volunteers who manned the Fair (straightening up and making cash), and most importantly, each and every one who came and made a purchase.  This community is great at supporting all school activities including the Book Fair.  Due to your efforts, I will be able to purchase $1800 of books for the Library.  This will help buy a variety of materials for the Library giving a selection that caters to many different reading tastes.

WANTED: Anyone that might be upgrading their home artificial tree and is looking for a home for their old tree, the primary could perhaps use one or two for classrooms and concert.  Please call the school at 534-2494 or email bsoffice@tmsd.mb.ca, if you have an artificial tree you wish to donate to the school.

Thank You.

DATES TO REMEMBER

(for important dates throughout the year, see the school calendar on the web site! See the BCI Locker Room in the Recorder for dates of sporting events)

November 5 ~ Take Your Kids to Work Day (Grade 9)

November 10 ~ 11:00 a.m. Remembrance Day Service

November 11 ~ Remembrance Day – No Classes

November 12 ~ Student Led Conferences (K-8)

November 17 ~ K - 12 Reports

November 19 ~ Parent/Teacher Interviews (K-12)

November 27 ~ Admin Day – No Classes

November 28 ~ P.D. Day - No Classes

BRONCO HIGH SCHOOL HOCKEY SCHEDULE – HOME GAMES

November 1 vs. Souris Valley @ 3:30 p.m.

November 21 vs. Birtle @ 8:00 p.m.

November 30 vs. Killarney/Wawanesa @ 3:30 p.m.

December 5 vs. Crocus Plains @ 8:00 p.m.

December 19 vs. Deloraine @ 1:00 p.m.