It’s the last newsletter of the year. It is shocking how quickly this year has passed. They say that time flies when you’re having fun, so we must have had a lot of fun this year. It’s been great. We’ve learned a lot and experienced a lot and we have much to be thankful for and excited about for next year. Our teachers are keeping us busy and making the most of the days we have left. Mr. Herman keeps dazzling us with his wit and wisdom in science class. He also shares the Math responsibilities with Mrs. Harder. Imagine having to teach Math to a bunch of rowdy teenagers! Not just anyone can do that. Thankfully they can, and they do it well. Mr. Anderson has been a terrific health teacher and is one of the all around healthiest men we know. Mrs. Rancourt and Mr. T have done a tremendous job teaching us Home Ec and IA. You guys really know what you are doing. Mr. Graham has had the challenge of teaching us ELA, Social Studies and Art and has even, on occasion, blended all three of those subject areas into a wild cacophony of learning. That’s not easy.

On a personal note, as most of you know, the annual Grade Nine Canoe trip was not able to take place this year due to unforeseen circumstances. This is the first group in many years to not embark on that great rite of passage. It must be noted however, that these grade nines handled the news with an incredible sense of maturity and grace and we the teachers are very grateful for that. If any group deserves a trip to Canada’s great north it’s these guys. It is our hope and our intention to reschedule the trip in the first weeks of September.

Well it’s that time of year again. The snow is gone, the flowers are blooming and the sun is shining. That must mean the annual Grade nine canoe trip is approaching. We embark on our journey to Canada’s great north on May 31st and we shall not return until June the 2nd. Oh boy oh boy, we can hardly sleep. Parents, please get the permission slips and money in to Mr. Graham ASAP.

In the meantime, we are trying our best to concentrate on our indoor education. In Art and Social Studies we have been hired by a wealthy medieval Baron and have been commissioned to build him a castle to his very uptight specifications. ELA has us venturing into literary masterpieces such as Aesop’s Fables and George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Wait until you see the incredible doors we painted in Mrs. Bain’s class! You will be so proud.
In Health class we have been talking about gambling and gambling addictions as well as looking ahead with some career planning. You should see the archery set up in the gym! Archery in gym class! Could it get any sweeter? In Math class, we have been having a hilarious time solving equations. Thanks to Mrs. Harder for her seamless transitioning. Mr. Herman has us doing presentations on our favorite elements in Science. How can you pick a favorite? I love them all…except Balonium. Gross.

Thanks for everything everybody

Well, the grade 9’s have been learning up a storm lately while still managing to let our creative side show. Especially in Art, where we’ve been doing scratch art. In science, we’ve been studying chemistry and the make-up of atoms. Mr. Herman has been promising to take us up to the lab to study chemical reactions, but so far we haven’t been allowed to blow anything up. Well, not officially, anyway… In math we’ve been studying scale factors and symmetry. In ELA we’ve been studying Romeo and Juliet AND the war in Sierra Leone. Home Ec has us sewing like mad. In IA we’ve been repairing small engines and learning how to weld. We’ve been fitness texting, I mean testing, in Phys Ed. The Middle Ages and the Black Death have been the focus of our studies in Social. We’ve been checking out the different educational requirements for jobs in Careers. And, last but not least, we finished up reading Tarzan and are studying the ill effects of gambling in Health class. Have a great Easter Break everyone!
Thanks to Monica for her invaluable assistance in creating this newsletter item.

Well, in spite of our best efforts, our teachers have managed to keep us busy since the break. We’ve been solving up a storm of equations in mathematics, seeing a storm of romance and deception in Romeo and Juliet, and read about the storms of war and the plight of child soldiers in English. In Social, we finished with the Romans and are studying medieval times. Health has seen us examining the evolution of the tobacco industry. We’ve been skating and curling in Phys. Ed. IA has us welding and putting together engines, while we’ve been studying measurement in Home Ec. (but we really just want to make soup). Science has us studying cells and various forms of reproduction. We’ve been making our own personal Coats of Arms in Art. And finally, we’re looking up various careers on the internet in Careers! Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Special thanks to Kaitlyn and Nickole and the Peanut Gallery.