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D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 8

Administrative

Message

Welcome

Mr. Barker

Calendar of

Events

Holiday

Concerts/

Book Fair/

Cookie Dough

New Support

for Grade 8

Kids Gym/

Basketball

Players

Home Connec-

tions in Math

Holiday

Camps

Character

Trait Awards

Inside

this issue:

Principal: J. Davis

Vice Principal: M. Damen

Superintendent: R. Kuiper

Secretaries: B. Parkin & M. Snelgrove

Website: www.tvdsb.on.ca/marywright.cfm

Twitter: @ MWrightMustangs

Phone: 519-245-2044

Fax: 519-245-4225

Address: 213 Carroll St. W.

Strathroy, ON N7G 1B1

A Message from Mary Wright’s Administrative Team Welcome to December! November was a busy month, full of learning and kindness.

It has been so wonderful to see and hear about all of the kind and caring acts that

our students and staff have been demonstrating. We hope that these messages are making

it home and you are hearing about how Kindness Matters at Mary Wright!

We have a very busy month ahead of us. December is jam-packed with special events and

everyone has been working hard to prepare for them. Our Student Parliament has planned

several events for December. There will be some spirit days as well as our annual Canned

Food Drive, which runs from December 3-14. Here is another example of how Kindness

Matters, as we give back to our community through our donations of non-perishable food

items.

School Council has been extremely busy with fundraising events (Spiritwear, Rheo Thomp-

son chocolates, Mustangs Discount Cards). We are so thankful for the time and effort that

they have dedicated to raise funds for our students.

Our staff have also been busy supporting extra-curricular activities, preparing for concerts

and presentations and organizing events. All of that in addition to providing meaningful

learning activities daily for our students!

Please read through the newsletter for details about the many events happening in Decem-

ber as well as other important information.

As a reminder, the last day of classes before the Holiday Break is December 21st. Classes

will resume on January 7, 2019. On behalf of the staff of Mary Wright Public School, we

wish you a peaceful, joyous holiday season.

Thank you, Mary Wright parents for your ongoing support. You are truly our valued part-

ners in your child's education.

Your partners in education,

Ms. Davis, Principal & Mrs. Damen, Vice Principal

Hello!

My name is Scott Barker and I am so excited to be joining

the Mary Wright P.S. staff as Principal, beginning in January. I have been in edu-

cation for over 22 years, with the past 4 years as Vice Principal at Northridge P.S.

and Lord Elgin P.S. While this role may be new for me, the move actually feels

like “coming home” in a way. I live in the north end of Strathroy and my children

attended elementary school at the former Colborne P.S. and at the current J.S.

Buchannan P.S. (my daughter is now in grade 11 at SDCI and my son is in his sec-

ond year at Brock University). Early in my education career I was a teacher at

the former Southdale P.S. and, prior to moving into administration, I taught for

over 7 years at North Meadows P.S. I also spent 4 years as Vice President of the

Thames Valley Teacher Local.

The field of education is every evolving; my goal as Principal is to be supportive of

the programs and our community here at Mary Wright, to develop an understand-

ing of our strengths and needs, to continue to deepen student and staff learning ,

and to provide new opportunities to grow in service of our community.

Know that I am always happy to speak to any and all of you should you have ques-

tions, concerns or ideas to share; the coffee’s on and I’m a good listener. I am look-

ing forward to getting to know all of you -- staff, students, and families -- over the

coming months and I am proud to be a part of the Mustang family.

Wishing you all a delightful and safe holiday season -- and I look forward to seeing

you on January 7th, 2019!

Mr. Scott Barker

Principal

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1

2 3

Food Drive

Begins

4

Hot Lunch

Turkey

Dinner

5

6

Twelve Days of

Giveaways

Begins

Bookfair Opens

7 Festive

Sweater Day

(optional)

8

9 10 11 Kindergarten

and DEV Concert

6:30pm

12 Primary

Concert Gr. 1-3

7:00 pm /Cookie

Dough Order Pick

Up 3:30– 5:30pm

13

14 Festive

Hat Day (optional)

Food Drive Ends

Book Fair Ends

15

16 17 18 Green/White &

Red Day!

19 20

Hot Lunch

Orders Due

21 PJ Day

(optional)

Assembly

11:50 am

22

23

Winter Break

24 Winter Break

25

Winter Break

26

Winter Break

27

Winter Break 28

Winter Break

29

Winter Break

30 Winter Break

31 Winter

Break

December 2018

Mary Wright KINDERGARTEN & DISCOVERY Concert

Our Holiday Concert featuring the students in the Kindergarten and Discovery classes will take place on Tuesday,

December 11, 2018 (Snow date: Monday, December 17, 2018). Show times will be: 9:45 am and 6:30 pm. Doors for

the night performance will open at 6:00 pm. Extra parking will be available at the back of the school in the tarmac area.

As seating will be very limited for the evening performance, we encourage any family members (e.g., grandparents) to

attend the morning performance if they are able. Thanks for taking this into consideration!

A variety of seasonal songs, poems and dances will be showcased! Costumes will be simple and confirmation of what

is needed will be sent home in early December. Come on out and see your talented children!

Mary Wright PRIMARY Holiday Concert (Grades 1-3)

You’ve heard of a snowman that could dance and a red-nosed-reindeer that took a flying chance. Mary Wright primary

division has a new tale about a special guy, Marty the Moose, who wanted to fly! Students in Grades 1 to 3 are busy

preparing for this spectacular show. Casting for the show is currently taking place. Parents will be notified if their child

has a speaking role. Costume suggestions will be sent home by the first of December. Check your child’s classroom

planner. This entertainment is going to be great! Set aside the date and join Mary Wright primary performers Wednes-

day, December 12th

at 2:30pm for the afternoon performance, or 7:00pm for the night performance of A HOLIDAY

MOOSICAL. Doors for the night performance open at 6:30pm for viewers and extra parking is available at the back of the

school on the tarmac area.

SEE YOU THERE!

Scholastic Book Fair

Scholastic Book Fair, The Enchanted Forest of Books, is coming! It will be open December 6, 2018 and run until December 14, 2018.

Ms. Pye

ORDER PICK UP

ON DECEMBER 12th

3:30 pm to 5:30 pm

Introduction of New Support for Grade 8 Students

We are excited to announce new support for Grade Eight students as they transition to secondary schools. Research indicates that cross panel collaboration around transitions can increase gradua-tion rates by sixteen percent.

The Thames Valley DSB Board of Trustees approved allocation of new staff at the Board meeting on April 24, 2018. This allocation was to ensure that every TVDSB Elementary School was to have at least one Guidance Lead Teacher to help Grade Eight students to make successful transitions to second-ary schools. This targeted investment in senior elementary students will support teachers to:

* prepare students for their academic transition to high school,

* engage students in experiential learning that provides exposure to role mod-els and positive examples of a diversity of careers, and

* encourage high expectations for all students and facilitate exploration of all pathways options.

In order to support students’ transitions, Elementary Guidance Lead Teachers will create a Student Learning Individual Profile (SLIP) for each grade eight stu-dent informed by the student’s: academic data, myBlueprint Info, Student Re-flections on Experiential Learning, and input from the student’s teachers.

As in the past, students will continue to use myBlueprint to complete their Indi-vidual Pathways Plan, and to submit courses for TVDSB secondary school reg-istration. Individual Education Plans created in elementary schools will transi-tion electronically to the TVDSB secondary school in which your child registers.

We love having parents/guardians as partners so please ask your child about conversations they have had about transition planning. Should you have any questions about the support we are providing, please contact your child’s Ele-mentary Guidance Lead, or Administration.

November 2018 Academic and Character Trait (Responsibility) Awards

Teacher Academic Award Responsibility Award

Mrs. Bondy

Mrs. Carruthers

Jacob L.

Chase G. & Charlotte P.

Ms. deKoning

Mrs. Anderson

Hunter V.

Ellie G.

Ms. Harmsworth

Mrs. Patterson

Kenzie B.

Jack D.

Mrs. Heynsbergen

Mrs. Thomas

Sienna S.

Sydney D.

Mrs. Bice Ryan J. Evy L.

Mrs. Cowan Winston B. Brooklyn G.

Mrs. DeLancey Sierra P. Emily C.

Mrs. Johnston Logan R. & Jayden D. Amelia M. & Jordan E.

Mrs. Milne Marissa H. Ruth T.

Mrs. Howard Keira J. Ember F.

Mrs. McAllister Conner B. Michelle R.

Mrs. Connolly Tiffany L. Nathan M.

Ms. Damen Sophie C. Lila V.

Ms. Rans Sawyer S.H. Leah S.

Mrs. Gibson Damien T. Breece W.

Mr. Mallette Nick S. Sam B.

Ms. Brown Paige S. Ashton M.

Ms. Gombas Sydney Johnathan

Mr. Morrill Jacob D. Peyton S.

Ms. Bender Cole D. Mya L.

Ms. Weglo Abby L. Autumn T.

Mr. Lauzon Amber L. Nathan L.

Mr. Kirmse Jaci Y. Sara M.

Mme. Andrews Trey M.(Ms. Gombas) Paige S. (Ms. Brown)