Month: June 2022

Bus Stop Changes – 2022-23

This memo is applicable to families of students who will be attending MacDonald Drive Junior High in September 2022, and who utilize transportation services.

If you are receiving this memo, your student’s school bus transportation service may be different as of September 1, 2022.

Please see attached bus route documents for further details. The new bus route information can be viewed in your BusPlanner Web Parent Portal account, available at nlesd.mybusplanner.ca as of late August, 2022. To create an account, you will need information regarding the student’s Student Number, Birth Date, School Name and Grade for the current school year.

Bus route documents can also be obtained from the school’s profile page on the District’s website, http://www.nlesd.ca.

School Supply List 2022-23

Here is the recommended school supply list for the 2022-23 school year:

  • Loose Leaf paper
  • Duotangs, different colours
  • HB Pencils
  • Pens
  • Exercise books, preferably not coil
  • Liquid paper
  • Scissors
  • Coloured leads
  • Graphing paper
  • Erasers
  • Math Set
  • Scientific Calculator
  • 1 inch binders for Core Subjects

For French Immersion students, it also recommended they have:

  • French-English Dictionary
  • L’Art De Conjuguer – Bescherelle

50th Anniversary – Second Call

September, 2022, marks 50 years since MDJH opened its doors and we are planning a year full of events!

  • In September, we will open the 25th anniversary time capsule and reveal its contents.
  • In October, we are planning an Open House with MDE.

You will have to sign up and stay tuned to find out what else is happening…

If you know of any past alumni who would like to take part in our celebrations, please send them this link to sign up for updates.

MDJH Community Garden

The MDJH Community Garden is braving the cold and getting the growing started. We transplanted lettuce and parsley from our hydroponic garden today and planted peas and kale seed sprouted during our trip to MUN on Friday! The chives are coming up from last year and the fall garlic is growing strong!

We already have 5 students interested in caring for and harvesting food from 5 of our 7 boxes, during the summer!

LEARN Fieldtrip to MUN and Ocean Sciences Centre

Students in our LEARN and ELL programs had an exciting visit to MUN and the OSC in Logy Bay on Friday! We learned about Climate action and food security with the Fluvarium’s Power tower and staff! We toured the MUN library, the tunnels, the food court and had the privilege of visiting the new core science building and seeing the amazing Blue Whale Skeleton. We concluded our trip at the OSC in Logy Bay exploring the touch tank full of Atlantic Ocean invertebrates and visiting the seals.

Thanks to all the students involved for representing MDJH with such mature behaviour and excellent, intelligent questions! Can’t wait for the next trip!

Student Absences During Class Time

We have had inquiries from parents wishing to take students out of school during regularly scheduled class time. We realize that many of the excursions that families have can be very educational. However, when school is in session it can be very difficult for a student to catch up with their classmates, and it is our preference that the student not miss any school.

If you do have plans to take your child out of school for an extended period of time for whatever reason, it is the responsibility of the parents to send a written notification of the planned absence (preferably email) to the school principal requesting permission for your child to be away. Ms. Pike will consider the reasons for this absence and provide information and advice accordingly. Otherwise, the absence may be considered unexcused.

When a student misses school for a family vacation or other non-school-related activity, they are responsible for any work missed while away, and they are also responsible for getting this missed work from a classmate when they return. Teachers are not required to prepare work in advance for a scheduled vacation/non-school activity, or to spend time re-teaching something that the student misses. This responsibility falls to the student and his/her family.

The homework website and Google Classrooms are updated daily and students can avail of these while away to keep up to date, or to catch up when they return. Any assignments that would be due when a student is on vacation must be completed before he/she leaves. Any tests or projects completed while a student is away will be given to the student upon return, or prior to leaving.

A copy of the School Calendar is available at www.nlesd.ca.