The MDJH School Council (2018-19) has prepared a list of questions and answers that parents of our incoming Grade 7 students may have about life here at MDJH. While no list of this sort can be totally comprehensive, we hope this will answer your most pressing questions.

• What is the daily schedule?
  • MDJH works on a 7 days cycle with 5 periods per day.
  • Our doors open at 7:45 with first bell at 8:05. We dismiss at 2:10.
• How do I find out my child’s teachers?
  • Sign on to PowerSchool and all of your child’s teachers will be listed with their email links. (note that this is only after school has started and PowerSchool login info is sent home.)
• What is the best way toreach of my child’s teachers?
  • Email. All email addresses are available at our school web site (mdjh.info) OR from PowerSchool. The teacher’s’ name is a link to the email address.
  • Email is best, as teachers cannot come to the phone when in class. However, you may call and leave a message.
• Can I speak to my child’s teachers prior to the start of the school year?
  • Teachers are not required to be in attendance until the first day of school.
• Is there a supply list? Do I need to buy anything before the first day of school?
  • Here is a link to a generic school supply list for MDJH.
  • As well, each teacher may require additional class materials. Students will be told about these items when the new school year starts.
• Can the students leave school grounds at lunch?
  • Yes. If they are responsible and respectful to our food establishments and respect traffic.
• Are there Final Exams? When Are Final Exams?
  • Yes, we have Final Exams in English, Math and Science in Grades 7, 8 and 9.
  • Exams are usually over 3 days and are set for second last week of the school year. For 2019-2020 school year that would be June 17, 18, 19.
• How do I find out information about Bus Routes? How do I find out if I am eligible for busing?
  • All busing information is available on our website, and also on the District Web site.
  • To determine if you are bus eligible visit the District Web Site and use the Catchment Viewer (under Schools, then Student Transportation).
• What extracurricular activities are available to my child? Clubs? Sports?
  • Yes. There are over 30 sports teams and many clubs. For a full list of teams visit our web site.
• Are there tutorials if needed?
  • There is Math Help every Monday form 2:15-3:15.
  • Teachers make themselves available on a case by case basis.
• Whom do I contact if my child has a documented exceptionality?
  • Our Guidance Counsellors.
    • Christin Watton, christinawatton@nlesd.ca.
    • Deana Ward, deanaward@nlesd.ca.
• Is there a breakfast program?
  • Yes. There is a Breakfast program run by our parent volunteers and overseen by Karen Walsh, Parent and Daisy Hardy, Assistant Principal.
• Is there a lunch program or cafeteria?
  • Chartwells is our Recess and Lunch provider. A copy of the Menu is available on our web site.
• Is there a school council and how would I be able to be a part of it?
  • Yes , there is a School Council. Information will be sent home the first week of school looking for School Council members.
• How does the school communicate with parents?
  • Website
  • Monthly newsletters
  • Twitter
  • School messenger
  • PowerSchool
  • Homework page/ teacher webpages
• What is PowerSchool and how do I access it?
  • PowerSchool is the program we use to highlight attendance, grades and contact information with staff. In September, parents/ guardians will be given their login information to access PowerSchool.
• Will my child have a locker and do I need to provide a lock for him/her?
  • Yes. Students in grade 7 & 8 share lockers.
  • The school provides either a 3 digit combination lock or 3 digit letter lock.
• What volunteer opportunities are available for parents?
  • We are always looking for parent volunteers for our sports teams, extra curricular clubs, breakfast program and library. Drop by the office for more information.
  • ALL volunteers must have a current Vulnerable Sector and Code of Conduct.
• Does the school have a cell phone policy?
  • Unless specifically being used in a lesson, ALL cell phones (electronics) are collected in a basket at the beginning of class.
• Does the school have a dress code?
  • Yes, there is a dress code. It asks that students do not wear any clothing that advertises tobacco, alcohol or drug paraphernalia.
• Lunch? How does it work? Can accounts be set up with Chartwells?
  • Lunch is from 11:21am to 12:08pm, with first bell at 12:10pm.
  • Students are permitted to leave school grounds with parent/ guardian permission.
  • Chartwells also is our lunch provider. The menu is available online.
  • Chartwell Zipthru provides cards that parents/ guardians can load $ online or in person for food to purchase.

Please note that individual teachers may also add to this list.

• Loose Leaf paper
• Duotangs – different colours
• HB Pencils
• Pens
• Exercise books, preferably no coil
• Liquid paper
• Scissors
• Coloured leads
• Graphing paper
• Erasers
• Math Set
• Calculator
• 1 inch binders for Core Subjects
• French English Dictionary
• 555 French Verbs

What better way to start the last day of school than with a pancake breakfast?

Speaking of last day of school, today is Ms. Peddle’s last day before she starts her retirement.

Congratulations, Ms. Peddle!

The last day of regular classes will be Tuesday, June 18th. Exams begin on Wednesday, June 19th.

The last day for cafeteria service will be Tuesday, June 18th.

The Breakfast Program will be ending full service as of Tuesday, June 18th. As of Wednesday, June 19th, it will be operating on a “Grab-and-Go” basis.

All lockers must be cleaned out by the end of Tuesday, June 18th. Locks will be collected in by homeroom teachers at that point, and any lost locks will have to be replaced at a cost of $10.00.

All textbooks are to be returned to subject teachers, or handed in during exam periods. Lost or damaged textbooks will have to be replaced for their actual cost. English Textbook Costs     French Textbook Costs

The MDJH app will be ending as of the end of the school year.  This will have no impact on our school website or PowerSchool.

Monday, June 24th is a Professional Development Day for teachers. The school will not be open for students on that day.

The last day of the school year is Thursday, June 27th. Students will be dismissed at 12:30 pm, and report cards will be handed out just prior to this. Buses will be making their regular runs at this time.

Please note that report cards will not be released early. Students who did not attend classes on June 27th will have to wait until report cards are delivered to the office before they can be given out. Any report cards not handed out on June 27th or picked up on June 28th will be mailed out the following week.

That is the number of lines of code 22 Homeroom groups (approximately 528 students) wrote in their Technology courses during the 2018 – 2019 school year as part of our “Hour of Code” initiative. Actually most classes completed “Three Hours of Code”. Students used an online app called Coding Studio to complete exercises focused on the fundamentals of computer programming i.e. Coding. The exercises utilized an user-friendly interface (the Blocks) which use the programming language Javascript.

An extension to our Coding exercises in select Grade 7 and Grade 9 classes has been the use of a micro-computer product called the BBC Micro:bit. Students used an online app called Microsoft MakeCode to extend their Coding to a device separate to the Computers from which the Coding was being completed. As expressed by many students … “This is Really Cool Sir!”

Mr. G. would like to thank his colleagues in the Science Department for helping the school to secure the approximately $1000 worth of Micro:bits which were donated through the non-profit organization Kidscodejeunesse.org and the Government of Canada CanCode initiative.

The June Newsletter is now available. Click here to see it!

Ever dream of dunking your teacher? Now’s your chance! On Friday, June 7th, MDJH will host a Dunk Tank at lunchtime, and Ziggy Peelgoods will be here as well!

Tickets to try a dunk will be sold in advance on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week during recess and lunch!

• 1 ball= $2
• 3 balls= $5
• 7 balls = $10
• 15 balls = $20

Tickets will also be sold for those interested in purchasing Ziggy’s for that lunch time!

• fries ($5)
• poutine ($7)!

ALL tickets will be sold in advance and there will be no tickets available the day of!

The dunking will start promptly at 11:25 am and will run until the bell at 12:14 pm. Mr. Porter will draw tickets from the basket and we will dunk until we can dunk no longer.

Students MUST be present and ready to throw the ball when called to dunk their chosen teacher!

All proceeds will go towards funding our Children’s Wish drive. We may even have special guests here from Children’s Wish as well!

To celebrate music in our school and the spring concert theme, we invite staff and students to dress in 80’s inspired apparel on Wednesday, June 5th. Throw on some neon, sport a side pony-tail or dress like your favorite 80’s icon!

It’s that time of year again, when students have to start returning their textbooks to teachers. In the case where a book has been lost or damaged, the student is expected to reimburse the school for the cost of that book. Please check the lists below to see how much a book costs to replace.

English Stream

French / French Immersion

Library – $10 (softcover/paperback) / $20 (hardcover)