KWAYHQUITLUM NEWS

Upcoming Events

Wed., Oct .18 Early Dismissal 1:34pm

Parent/Teacher Interviews

2:00pm-7:00pm

Thur., Oct.19 Early Dismissal 1:34pm

Parent/Teacher Interviews

2:00pm-5:00pm

Fri., Oct. 20 Professional Development

Day—NO SCHOOL

Mon., Oct. 23 Fruit & Veggie Delivery

Boo Gram sales all week

Wed., Oct. 25 Picture Retakes

Thur., Oct. 26 District Cross Country

Meet 3:00pm—4:00pm

Mundy Park

Tues., Oct. 31 Halloween Dance

Mon., Nov. 6 Fruit & Veggie Delivery

PAC Meeting—Library @

7:00om

Tue., Nov. 7 Grade 6 Immunizations

Thu., Nov. 9 Remembrance Day

Assembly

10:45am-12:00pm

Fri., Nov, 10 Non Instructional Day–

NO SCHOOL

Mon., Nov. 13 Remembrance Day—NO

SCHOOL

Tue., Nov. 14 Grade 6 Immunization

Catch Up

Fri., Nov 17 Pep Rally

Principal’s Message

Dear Parents/Guardians and Community Members,

A Happy belated Thanksgiving to all Kwayhquitlum Middle Families. It has been a busy few weeks since our last newsletter and I would like to update and share some information with you: The band & choir’s first performance will be at the Remembrance Day assembly on November 9th at 10:45am. The Swim Team has completed their season (congratulations) but cross country and volleyball are in full swing. I have wonderful re-ports from coaches regarding the effort, attitude and sportsmanship shown by all our teams. Keep it up! Kwazy Kitchen is all bubbling along. This week the students made giant chocolate cookies. Perhaps they brought some home to share. Interim Reports are heading home today. Look for them and parent teacher conferences are next Wednesday, October 18th from 2-7pm and Thursday October 19th from 2-5pm. There will be an early dis-missal on both days (1:34pm). Finally, Kwayhquitlum Middle is hosting a parent information even-ing on Wednesday, November 15th from 6:30-7:30pm. We will be presenting the new middle school reporting template. Respectfully, Laurie Ebenal Principal

#2—October 16, 2017

Kwayhquitlum Middle School, 3280 Flint Street, Port Coquitlam, BC V3B 4J2 www.sd43.bc.ca/middle/Kwayhquitlum/

BEARS The past few weeks have been filled with wonderful new learning experiences and opportunities on the Bears team. Our students have been focusing on the concept of being extraordinary, and thinking of ways they can stretch them-selves this year. Camp Elphinstone: The grade eights of Kwayhquitlum Middle set off on the ferry from Horseshoe Bay on September 27

th, and went on a

journey that no doubt will be remembered for a lifetime. Students experienced such activities as kayaking, archery, team-building, high ropes and campfire to name a few. New friendships were forged, and our grade eight community was built and strengthened. We are all very grateful for our camp experience. Curriculum Corner: The Bears students have been learning new things, and developing new skills. Here is a snapshot of what we have been working on: Math/Science: We have studied the concept of central tendency through a bouncy ball experiment, and les-sons on mean, median and mode. LA: Students on the Bears team are part of a monthly book club. All of the Bears are reading a book of their own choosing, and they will be having their first book club to share their novels on Oct. 30

th. Students have also been

exploring the concept of “Hero” through reading, writing, and discussion. Socials: The Bears are reinforcing their world geography knowledge, and beginning to learn about the Middle Ages. PHE: Students are creating an outdoor activity that promotes collaboration, inclusion and exertion. French: We are studying camp vocabulary in French and learning how to ask and answer questions regard-ing which activities we enjoy, and do not enjoy doing. Students have shown a lot of enthusiasm and desire to learn a

ORCAS As October progresses to the mid-month, the Orcas have settled into great routines. Many are transitioning well from elemen-tary school or from school farther away to Kway. Students are working hard and cooperatively in all classes. We are engaged in a variety of learning activities, including writing autobiographies, Writers'Workshop, novel study, monthly reading program, sci-ence lab, socials GeoProject, and math work. We are looking forward to starting our school-wide read-aloud, Out of My Mind, containing a number of themes---one of which includes our school theme of "Everyone has a Story!" In addition, with Interim reports, Parent-Teacher Conferences, Halloween, Remembrance Day, and upcoming field trips, the first term is sure to

move along quickly! Thank you for sharing in our journey!

EAGLES

The Eagles have been working hard this term. In Science, we are learning about plate tectonics; In Socials, we are covering geog-raphy and current events; in Math we are discussing median, mode, range, and mean; in Art/Drama we are creating persuasive commercials; in PHE, students finished planning an outdoor education activity; and in Language Arts, we are building coherent par-agraphs that have a clear topic sentence. The Eagles have also just completed their charters/social contracts in class; these char-ters were a collaborative effort in their divisions that is the foundation for how we want to feel in school. We are looking forward to seeing parents October 18th, and 19th at parent teacher conferences to set some goals for their child and discuss their child’s pro-gress

HALLOWEEN IN MIDDLE SCHOOL We are aware that parents and students have been thinking about costumes already. No student will be per-mitted to wear a mask covering their face or head, this also includes face paint. Please be reminded that we do not allow any costumes that include alcohol, drug or sex references or lifestyle. Likewise, we ask students to leave home any props that represent weapons - no guns, knives or swords.

TIMBERWOLVES

The Timberwolves have settled into the school year and are embarking on a journey into ancient history to learn about early

humans. As well, students are learning about elements and compounds and are excited to conduct science labs. Study skills and

organization are a big component in our Health Education course this term and students are given opportunities, on a weekly

basis, to reorganize their desk and supplies. As Halloween approaches, both students and teachers are looking forward to dress-

ing up and participating in school-wide activities. Each class will be writing a 12 sentence spooky story to read aloud on Hallow-

een. We are looking forward to going on our first field trip in November and to an exciting event that has become a Timberwolf

tradition, the Entrepreneur Fair, which will take place on Friday, December 15th.

THUNDERBIRDS This month, at Kway the T-Birds have begun our study of “Early Humans” in Social Studies. The students have been enjoying our look at Ancient Artifacts and all participated in creating mini-excavation sites. This gave the students a chance to see what it might feel like to be an Archeologist trying to put together clues and figure out how humans lived well before written history.

The students have also continued with Fitness Friday! Working in small groups the students are building good habits regarding physical health and fitness. The students get a chance to practice team work, positive motivation, while working up a good sweat in the process!

LES CORBEAUX The Corbeaux team has finished math projects and begun working on an ancient civilizations research project in the 7/8 Socials Studies classes and the study of prehistory in 6/7 classes. We are also using our devices to research extreme environments for Science projects and as well as for passion projects. The students are learning how to be responsible with their technologies while respecting those of others and improving their education with the tools at their disposal. The new curriculum continues to otimulate great changes.

WHATS HAPPENING IN EXPLORATIONS?

Computer students have been finishing their first projects: A small game programmed in Kodu for the grade 6/7 classes, and a Landscape created from code for the Grade 8's. Some of the incredible Landscapes created by students will be posted outside the computer room. Moving forward the grade 6 and 7's are developing a developing a more advanced program, while the 8's explore coding more deeply cultivating skills like debugging and variables. Home Ec students have been making lots of nutritious baked goods and recipes that include fresh vegetables and herbs from the garden (tomatoes and basil). Students will be working on their food design projects in the upcoming weeks. The grade 8’s will be designing and prototyping their own pizzas while the grade 6:7s will be designing their own healthy smoothies. Tech Ed students have all been safety approved and are working with the machines in the shop. All students have contributed to our 3D posters of wise sayings, with each student preparing a wooden letter as part of the wise saying chosen by their pod. These posters will be placed in pods around the school. Grade 6/7 students are close to finishing their wooden toy top and launchers and grade 8 students are working on money banks and treasure boxes that they have designed.

Digital Media Arts students have been working toward our first major project: A Digital Collage. In order to do this we have learned about Canadian Copyright law, Creative Commons, how to search the web for images, image resolu-tion, basic Adobe Photoshop functions, and digital painting. Grade 8’s are just starting the process of making a short video about their project in Adobe Spark. In Music Explorations, students have been having lots of fun being creative and expressive beings! You don’t have to play an instrument to enjoy music! Understanding the “big picture” of arts education, students have written their own plays or musical-ly influence short stories combining all the four disciplines of their arts education (MUSIC, DANCE, VISUAL ART, DRAMA) and have been directing, acting, choreographing and rehearsing their scenes for a presentation. They are learning (and experiencing) that creative growth requires patience, readiness to take risks and willingness to try new approaches. We also listen to music from a wide array of musical possibilities, learning that throughout history, people have been expressing themselves in meaning-ful ways, being influenced by their culture, time, and place.

FORMS, FORMS AND MORE FORMS Start-up packages and forms were sent home in September. Please ensure that the following forms are completed and returned to the office as soon as possible: Data Verification, Policies & Permissions, and

the Emergency Release Forms. Activity and Athletic fees are due at this time as well. If you have sent your fees in, thank you very much, if you haven’t, the fees are now due. Please pay using our on-line system or send a cheque or cash to the school office. If your child has a medical concern and requires a medical alert, please visit our school website, under Quick Links http://www.sd43.bc.ca/school/kwayhquitlum/Parents/Forms. Medical Alert Forms—We require that the physician complete a section of the Request for Administration of Medication form and sign it before medication can be given to a student at school by school staff. It is the responsibility of the parents to ensure that all medications are kept up-to-date. Any medications that you wish the school to administer to your child now require consent from your family physician, this includes Tylenol or Advil. Due to this procedure Kwayhquit-lum Middle will not be administering any medication without the written consent of a physician.

ATHLETICS Kwayhquitlum is in the middle of a busy fall athletics season. Friday, our swimmers participated in the District Swim Meet. This was the first of many district celebratory events that Kwayhquitlum athletes will participate in throughout the three sports seasons. Yesterday, our cross-country team completed their third meet of the season. Runners now turn their efforts towards preparing for the District Cross-Country Meet on Thursday, October 26th at Mundy Park. Our field hockey team enjoyed an exciting first game last week, and take to the pitch of their second game, today at Town Cen-tre. Our grade six volleyball players have been honing their skills in lunch hour practices for the past few weeks. They are gearing up for the district play-day on Friday October 27th. The grade seven volleyball teams are now well in to their season, and have shown some strong improvements in play. The grade eight teams have represented Kway very well as they ap-proach the mid-way point of their season.

If parents are interested in helping to drive athletes to meets and games away from Kway, please complete a criminal record check, an ICBC driver’s abstract, and the volunteer application form. Details about each of these items can be found on the Kway website, or by visiting the main office.

SPORTS COUNCIL Student leaders on sports council help make Kwayhquitlum Cougar athletics possible. From setting-up games, to hosting tournaments, to scorekeeping, and much more, sports council is a key component of Kway’s leadership program. Sports council will be hosting its first few meetings this coming week. Students can check the leadership board outside the staff room to see if they were assigned to sports council, following their leadership applications. Students that are not on the list, but still interested in sports council should speak to Mr. Hart, Mr. Dureau, or Mr. Robertson.

TERRY FOX FOUNDATION & RUN

On Thursday September 21, we held our annual Kwayhquitlum Terry Fox Run. This assembly featured pieces written, by grade eight students, about Terry’s past, present, and future legacy, as well as our continued fight against cancer. Students, parents, and our wider community continued to donate to our cause until the end of September and we are currently tallying our results from classroom donations, and online donations. Thank you to everyone who contributed.

INCLEMENT WEATHER It’s storm season on the lower mainland and power outages happen. We encourage families to continuously check the School District 43 website for updates and changes during times of extreme weather: www.sd43.bc.ca. Also listen for up-dates on CKNW AM 980 radio, CKWX 1130 radio and CBC (690) radio.

KWAY PAC UPDATE The Kwayhquitlum Middle School PAC has taken a step into social media with our new Twitter account! You can find us at @KwaySD43Parent for the latest information from your PAC. Please also join the Facebook page "Kwayhquitlum Parents" https://www.facebook.com/Kwayparents The Kway PAC can also be reached by email. For the various email addresses, just visit the school website (www.sd43.bc.ca/school/kwayhquitlum), click on the Parents tab, and then the PAC button. Drop us a note with any questions or information you would like to share with your PAC. Did you know that the Scholastic Book Fair is a PAC sponsored event? We still need a few more parents/caregiver to volun-teer at next week's fair. Please visit http:signup.com/go/PabcWxe to sign up. Not only does the book fair raise money for your PAC, but Scholastic also donates new books to our library! The Book Fair runs October 16 - 19 in the school library and will be open during Parent/Teacher interviews on the 18th and 19th. In fact, Wednesday the 18th is Family Night! All students that come to the fair with a parent/guardian between 1:30 and 7:00 pm will be given a ballot to enter to win a prize pack worth $50! $25 for them to spend at the fair and $25 for their teacher to spend. Don't miss it!!

OFFICE MATTERS If your child is going to be late or absent from school for any reason (e.g. arriving late from a doctor/dentist appointment) or will need an early dismissal on a particular day, please inform the school office in advance by telephone, email or through a written note. A very convenient option is to submit your child’s absence on our school website: http://www.sd43.bc.ca/middle/Kwayhquitlum. Follow the link and click on the Absence Report on the main page under Quick Links. This information is entered into our computer system and dispersed to all staff. If no notification is received, we will be call-ing you at home or work for information regarding the absence. Unless you advise us that your son or daughter will be gone for more than one day due to illness, vacation, etc., the school will call each morning your child is missing from class. Thanks in advance for your cooperation as this assists our office staff greatly.

TRAFFIC UPDATE

We have a school bus that drops off and picks up some of our students on Dorset by Anne Street. Please help keep this area

safe and watch out for 'no stopping' signs clearly posted on the South side of Dorset. Many parents are parking there between

2:50-3:10 when the bus needs to park. Please stay away from this area.

Thank you for your help!

Picture Day Wed., Sept. 20, 2017

Open House Thurs., Sept. 21, 2017 7:00 pm

Band Rental Night Wed., Sept. 20, 6—8 pm MPX

District Non-Instructional Day Fri., Sept. 22, 2017

Cops for Cancer & Terry Fox Run Tues., Sep. 26, 2017

Grade 8s to Camp Elphinstone Wed., Sept. 27, 2017, 7:00 am

Grade 8s return from Camp Elphinstone Fri., Sept. 29 2017, 3:00 pm

Thanksgiving Day Mon., Oct. 9, 2017

Early Dismissal-Parent/Teacher Wed., Oct 18, 2017 1:34pm

Interviews

Early Dismissal-Parent/Teacher Thurs., Oct 19, 2017 1:34pm

Interviews

Provincial Non-Instructional Day Fri., Oct. 20, 2017

School Not in Session Fri., No. 10, 2017

Remembrance Day Mon., Nov. 13, 2017

Ministry Curriculum Training Day

(no classes) Fri., Nov. 24, 2017

Schools Close for Winter Vacation Fri., Dec. 22, 2017

Winter Vacation Dec. 25, 2016—Jan. 8, 2018

Schools Re-open after Winter Vacation Tues., Jan. 8, 2018

School Based Non-Instructional Day Mon., Jan. 29, 2018

School Non-Instructional Day Fri., Feb. 9, 2018

BC Family Day Mon., Feb. 12, 2018

District Non-Instructional Day Fri., Feb. 23, 2018

Schools close for Spring Vacation Fri., Mar. 16, 2018

Spring Vacation Mar., 19—Apr., 3, 2018

Good Friday Mar., 30, 2017

Easter Monday Mon., Apr. 2, 2018

Schools re-open after Spring Vacation Tues., April 3, 2018

District Non-Instructional Day Fri., Apr. 13, 2018

School Based Non-Instructional Day Fri., May 18, 2018

Victoria Day Mon., May 21, 2018

Last Day of School for all Students Thurs., June 28, 2018

Administrative Day Fri., June 29, 2018