End of Year News

Congratulations to all of our students on a successful school year. You have made it through another school year; assessments are over, lockers are cleaned out, and ipads have been handed in. The friendships you have developed over the year will remain even though everyone goes their own way during the summer. Some of you will be returning to Bruce Middle School next year and we look forward to another great year together. Others will be moving on to other schools and we wish you well in your new adventure. Bruce Middle School students and staff should be proud of the accomplishments you have all made during the 2014-2015 school year.
The spirit of caring and teamwork has taken us far along the journey of personal growth. You have fortified our “Tradition of Excellence”. The staff at Bruce hopes that everyone has a safe and happy summer.

Staff Changes for 2015-2016

Bruce Middle School will be going through a few staff changes for next year. We say farewell to some familiar faces who have helped us a great deal over the years, and wish them well in their new endeavors. Congratulations and good luck to:

Mr. Lister will be moving to Golden Gate (Vice Principal)
Mr. Bults will be moving to Ness Middle School
Mrs. Matthewman will be moving to a Coordinator position
Mrs. Carlson will be moving to Literacy Academics (language teacher)
Ms. St. Mars will be moving to Seven Oaks School Division
Ms. Wold will be moving to Golden Gate
Mrs Wall will be moving to St. James Collegiate
Mr. Christie on leave

Farewell and good luck to

Mrs. Smitke and Mrs. Counanes, we wish you well in your retirement.
Mrs. Cox, Mrs. Slywchuk and Mrs. Hailley, we wish you well as you pursue your careers elsewhere.

Welcome and good luck to:

Mrs. Cordova will be joining us as Vice Principal
Mr. McCallum will be teaching grade 7
Ms deGroot will be teaching grade 6
Ms. Birk will be teaching grade 6
Mr. Johnstone will be teaching grade 6

Important Dates 2015-2016

September 7 Labour Day – No School
September 8 Inservice – No School
September 9 & 10 Parent-Student-Teacher Triad Conferences
September 11 First Day of Regular Classes
September 15 Meet the Teacher B.B.Q. 5:00-6:30 p.m.
September 15 Parent Council AGM 6:30 p.m.
September 22 Professional Development Meeting - Early Dismissal (3:00 p.m.)
September 23 Grade 6 Band First Lesson Night
September 30 Terry Fox National Event
October 6 Staff Mtg. – Early Dismissal (3:00 p.m.)
October 9 Picture Day – 9:00 a.m.
October 12 Thanksgiving (no classes)
October 20 PD Mtg. – Early Dismissal (3:00 p.m.)
October 23 Inservice – no classes
November 3 Staff Mtg. - Early Dismissal (3:00 p.m.)
November 6 Picture Day Retakes 9:00 a.m.
November 10 Remembrance Day Service
November 11 Remembrance Day – no classes
November 13 Admin/Inservice – no classes
November 17 P.D. Mtg. – Early Dismissal (3:00 p.m.)
November 25 Portfolio Night 4:30-7:30p.m.
November 27 Admin/Inservice – no classes
December 1 Staff Mtg. – Early Dismissal (3:00 p.m.)
December 9 Winter Concert
December 9 Middle Years Report Cards Issued
December 15 P.D. Mtg. – Early Dismissal (3:00 p.m.)
December 18 Last Day of School – Winter Break
January 4 School Re-opens
School pictures will be on Friday, October 9th. Please ensure you attend Triad Conferences to receive
your order form. Have a safe and relaxing summer.

Special Note from Parent Council

A huge thank you to all the parents and families that volunteered their time to help out with Celebr8, 2015, I could not have done it without your help and it was greatly appreciated. Celebr8 was a huge success and all the kids had a great time. The photographer was kind enough to provide a copy of the pictures taken at Celebr8 to all the students in attendance, if you would like a copy please contact Cheryl @204 8977351 or 204 2182884 and I will make sure you receive one. Good luck to all the grade 8 students moving on to high school in the fall, I hope you enjoyed your time here at Bruce and we wish you all the best in high school. Have a safe and happy summer! 

Summer Holidays

Summer holidays are fast approaching and many of us are looking forward to a fun filled summer break.  Some families will begin to leave for holidays before the official end of school. Therefore, a written note indicating your child's final day of attendance must be submitted to the office in advance.  Remember that if your child is unable to pick up their report card on June 29th, a self      addressed stamped envelope (large manila suggested) must be left with the office for the report card to be mailed out on the final day.

Web-Based Scheduler For September Triad Conference

Bruce Middle School is once again offering parents and students an opportunity to meet with their child’s B.L.A.S.T. teacher on September 9th & 10th before fall classes begin.  The purpose of this meeting is to promote open and ongoing communication between home and school. 

Letters have been mailed out indicating the B.L.A.S.T. teacher assignment for next year.

Beginning Monday, June 22^nd at 8:30 AM to Tuesday, September 8^th at 4:00 PM, interviews can be booked on line using the Bruce Middle School Conference Manager. This application allows you, as a parent, to use the Internet to check our teachers’ conference schedules and book appointments quickly and easily.

Click here to access the Conference Manager Site. The first time you use the Bruce Middle School Conference Manager you will be required to register and create a parent account, which only takes a minute or two. You can continue to use this same account for the duration of the time you have children in this school, so please record your password where you can reference it later.  Please note that although parents can register at any time, the booking of conferences can only begin at or after 8:30 a.m. on Monday, June 22nd 2015.

To all Grade 8 Parents/Students

Celebr8, 2015 will be held at Woodhaven CC on Thursday, June 25th 2015 from 7:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.  Tickets are $5.00 and are now on sale for grade 8 students only at the school.  We are asking all parents that when you drop off your child you must sign them in and leave a phone number where you can be reached in case of an emergency.  You will also need to sign them out at the end of the night.  If your child is carpooling with another student please notify Cheryl @ 897-7351 so we know who will be signing your child in and out the night of the event.  There will be music, a photographer, as well as snacks and drinks available throughout the night.  There will also be pizza delivered at 9:00 p.m. all of which is free of charge for everyone.  If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to call Cheryl and I will help as best I can.  Thank you to all the parents who are helping make this event possible it's going to be a fun night for students to celebrate their time here at Bruce as they look forward to high school next year.

Public Meeting: Proposed Middle School Reorganization

Public Meeting: Proposed Middle School Reorganization

7:00 p.m. Wednesday, September 23, 2015 at Collège Sturgeon Heights Collegiate

The Board of Trustees of the St. James-Assiniboia School Division has reviewed the most recent enrollment projections provided by the senior administration. The projections indicate that the current trend of increased enrollment in French Immersion will continue into the future.

The Senior Administration has recommended that the Board re-organize Ness Middle School and
École Golden Gate School to accommodate a French milieu School at the Ness Middle School site. This would mean that Golden Gate would become an English track Middle School. The Board has asked the senior administration to prepare a full report providing the rationale for such a re-organization and the implications for student programs. The Board would like to consult with the public before making a decision regarding this proposed reorganization and share the administrative report with you.

Please come out to the public meeting to express your support or concerns for such an initiative.

A Page from the Library

After June 12th, students will no longer be permitted to sign out library books.  All books must be returned by June 17th.

Track Meet Is On!

The track meet for today has not been cancelled. Good luck to all athletes today!

TRACK 2015

All athletes are to meet at John Taylor track (in behind John Taylor school) for 8:30am UNLESS you are running the 1600m (grade 7 or 8 ONLY), then you must be there for 8:10am.  Please ensure you have adequate sunscreen, water and snacks for the day (there will be a canteen on site)

IF THE TRACK MEET IS CANCELLED DUE TO RAIN, we will post on the blog by 6:30am, and it will also be announced on CJOB and Energy 106 by 6am.

Canada Wide Science Fair 2015: Fredericton

On May 10, Noah D, Shanaya M, Mrs. S-M and Mr. FS joined Jordan, Justice, and Mr. Braun and the rest of the Manitoba delegation, and headed to the Canada Wide Science Fair (CWSF) at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton, New Brunswick.

During the week, the student finalists set up their backboards and projects, and presented to the judges, local school students, as well as to the public. While on campus at UNB, the group got to experience resident life (including dorm beds, foosball, and cafeteria food), meet students from coast-to-coast-to-coast, and explore some cool science conducted in the university labs.

Other highlights of the week included:

·         The “twenty minute” walk to the Regent Mall

·         Pin trading

·         Meeting Chef Michael Smith at the Opening Event and watching his live demonstration of “Science in the Kitchen”

·         Eating downtown during the visit to the Fredericton Boyce Farmers Market

·         Exploring St. Andrews and St. Stephens, New Brunswick on Tour Day

·         Exploring the Bay of Fundy and the Reversing Falls on Tour Day

Towards the end of the week, we were treated to a spectacular Awards Ceremony at the Fredericton Convention Centre where nearly $1,000,000 in awards, prizes, and scholarships were handed out. Congratulations to Noah D who won a Bronze Medal! Following the Awards Ceremony and Banquet, students were treated to a dance back at the Student Union Building at UNB.

As quickly as the week started, CWSF came to a close and we were boarding our flight back to Winnipeg with thoughts on next year’s CWSF in Montreal!

Sport Camp Information

Sport Camp Information

Any grade 6 or 7 students interested in attending a sport camp this summer and would like to apply for a sports scholarship please contact Mrs. Goetz at kimgoetz@sjsd.net. Please indicate which camp you are registering for, the cost of the camp, and a copy of the camp confirmation would be appreciated.

There is no guarantee that a scholarship will be given, however we will try to accommodate as many students as possible. Scholarships will be given at the sports breakfast on June 19^th, 2015.  Scholarships are given to grade 6 and 7 students returning to Bruce Middle School next year. The camps that will be considered for scholarships are sport activities that we participate in during the school year such as volleyball, basketball, track and field, badminton and ultimate. Below are some camp suggestions that you may want to consider for your child.

Competitive Edge Volleyball Camps-Winnipeg Minor Volleyball Association

Register www.mva.ca or phone 204-269-777

UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA JUNIOR BISON HIGH PERFORMANCE SUMMER CAMPS

http://www.gobisons.ca/sports/2015/1/10/summerhpcamp2015.aspx

SJR-MBCI Sports Academy

Register at volleyballexperience.com

Wesmen Sport Camps

Register at www.wesmen.ca

Providence Sport Camps(overnight)

www.providencecollege.ca/athletics/sports_camps/

The 14th Annual Sports Breakfast

Sports Breakfast

The 14^th annual sports breakfast will be held on Friday June 19th at St. Basil's Church on Portage Avenue. The pancake breakfast will be from 9:00 a.m. to approximately 11:30 a.m. with rush seating. This is an opportunity to celebrate the success of all our extra-curricular sports teams throughout the year. Students who have purchased tickets will have their attendance taken during regular morning BLAST, following attendance students and staff will walk to the church. Staff members who attend the breakfast will walk back with the students and a second attendance will be taken once we return to the school. All students interested in attending please purchase your tickets from the office starting May 26th, 2015. We have sold out in the past so if you are interested please purchase your tickets early. Tickets are $5.00 each and sales will end on June 15th , 2015. If you have any questions, please phone Mrs. Goetz or at 204-888-1990.

Coaching for Confidence

Coaching for Confidence

Internet-based program to help parents help children with difficulty with anxiety (excessive fearfulness, worry, or shyness).

Is your 4 to 12 year old child more shy or fearful than other children of the same age?

Shyness and anxiety are normal emotions.  Some children, however, are much more shy or fearful than the average child.  Anxiety may interfere with their enjoyment of school, activities with other children, new experiences (swimming lessons or sports), and their development of independence and confidence.  Shyness and anxiety may also slow learning at school.

If you think that your child is more anxious (fearful, worried or shy) than most other children of the same age, you may be interested in Coaching for Confidence a web-based program developed for parents of children with anxiety by researchers at the University of Manitoba. 

If you are interested in learning more about this evaluation study please contact Julie-Anne at email: CoachingForConfidence@umanitoba.ca  or telephone 204-237-2055 and leave a message.  

Life/Work Exploration Camp at University of Winnipeg

On Friday, May 22, all grade 8 students took part in a Life/Work Exploration Camp at the University of Winnipeg. The camp was planned and organized by a committee of teachers and coordinators from the St. James-Assiniboia School Division. Students took part in a variety of sessions throughout the day involving the 6 Cs (Collaboration, Creativity, Character, Critical Thinking, Communication, and Citizenship) and performed tasks using the D.I. model (Destination Imagination). After viewing videos from a variety of Winnipeg professionals speaking about the importance of the 6 Cs as essential skills in any career, students had to complete a variety of timed tasks by putting to use the skills in focus. It was a fun and skill-building day at the U of W!

Bruce Concert Choir Performance

Bruce Concert Choir gave a beautiful performance at the Manitoba Legislature Building on Wednesday, May 13th 2015.  Great job singers!

Pizza Day Changed to Thursday For This Week Only!

Just a quick note to let everybody know that Pizza day has been moved to Thursday for this week only due to the large number of students who will be away on field trips this Friday.

Track & Field

Track and Field Practice Schedule

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday
	7:45-8:30 am		7:45-8:30 am
12:55-1:20 pm	12:55-1:20 pm	12:55-1:20 pm	12:55-1:20 pm
3:30-4:15pm	3:30-4:15pm	3:30-4:15pm	3:30-4:15pm

Athletes please ensure you attend at least 3 practices a week if you want to attend the track meet on June 9^th at John Taylor Collegiate(rain date June 11^th)

Please ensure you dress for all types of weather(jackets, rain gear, sunscreen etc)

Please ensure you have a water bottle and healthy lunch(non heated lunch)

There will be a canteen available(hotdogs, drinks, chips, freezies)

If you need a ride to and from school please ensure you are at Bruce by 8:15am on track day

All athletes must participate in at least 3 events

Please return form ASAP 

Bearcats Basketball Skills Camp Cancellation

Please be advised that the Bearcats Basketball Skills Camp that was originally scheduled for Tuesday May 19th has been cancelled due to gym availability issues.

If you require any additional information please contact Mr. Dempster.

Important Year-End Dates

The PDF document below contains a list of important year-end dates. If you need any additional information, please consult our online calendar or contact us at the school at 204-888-1990.

2015 Year-End Dates

School Vandalism

School Vandalism often involves graffiti, broken windows, damage to roofs and playground equipment. To report suspicious activity on school grounds between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.

or to report an act of school vandalism in Winnipeg call:  (204) 231-4556

Our security firm will attend after receipt of your call.