Marion M. Graham Collegiate602 Lenore DriveSaskatoon, SK S7K 6A6Phone: (306) 683-7750Attendance: (306) 683-7755Student Services Office: (306) 683-7756

PRINCIPAL: Mr. Doug NjaaVICE PRINCIPAL: Mrs. Karen PetersonSCHOOL TRUSTEE: Ms. Colleen MacPherson

Principal’s Message:

The snow is melting and none of us are too upset about that! We are almost onemonth into our new semester! Our students worked hard after Christmas andwrote their final assessments at the end of January! Now we are heading intothe February break, and our staff and students are looking forward to a little timeoff from the regular routine!

Staff and students put on another amazing Grade 8 Open House on February 2!We had approximately three hundred students and parents visiting the schoolthat evening, and we had nearly 160 of our students involved in theperformances in the gym! The tradition continues at Marion Graham with ourcurrent students doing a wonderful job showing grade 8's all the awesome thingsthey can get involved in at our school! As our script suggested, at MarionGraham, you can get involved in many things because, . . . "At MMGCI, AnythingGoes!“

Our athletic seasons in Basketball , Cheer, and Wrestling are coming to a close,and Badminton will begin soon. Congratulations to our Jr. Boys' Wrestling teamas they won the City Championship this year! This is the third time, in the past 4years, that we have won this trophy!

Our annual Variety Night is soon upon us and this is a great opportunity for ourmany talented students to showcase their skills in the theatre! We had anamazing night of singing and performing at the annual Heart and Soul event onFeb. 7! Thanks to our MMGCI Music Parents Association for all of their workputting on this great event!

On behalf of the staff and students at Marion GrahamYour principal,Mr. Doug Njaa

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

Principal’s Message 1

Student Progress Conf. 2

Student Services 4

Career Discovery Corner 6

Dates to Remember 8

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MARCH2017

Web sitehttp://www.spsd.sk.ca/school/marionmgraham

Parent Portal: https://portal.spsd.sk.ca/school/mgc

MMGCI NEWSLETTER

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GRADUATION 2017Parents please be sure to visit our Parent Portal

and under “Counsellors Corner” click on the link for

Graduation Notices. Important updates have been posted regarding photos, banquet and dance tickets, etc.

JOSTENS will be on site March 7 and 14 to take Grad Ring orders

Grad photos will be taken on Monday, March 20 through Wednesday, March 22 from 8:30 to 3:30

in the Library Conference Room.

Banquet tickets will go on sale May 16ONLINE, not at the school.

The cost of banquet tickets is TBDPlease watch the Parent Portal for more

details coming soon.

STUDENT PROGRESS CONFERENCESThursday, March 23 Friday, March 245:00 – 8:00 p.m. Unscheduled Time 1:00 – 3:00 p.m. Unscheduled Time

Unscheduled Time:Marion Graham is working hard to provide meaningful opportunities for communication betweenhome and school. Our spring session of Student Progress conferences will be entirelyUNSCHEDULED time. Families are welcome to wait and speak during a 5 minute conference withstaff on Thursday, March 23 from 5:00 – 8:00 pm and Friday, March 24 from 1:00 – 3:00 pm. Noappointments are necessary. We will conduct a survey during interview time to determine if theunscheduled structure meets our school community needs best. We are looking forward to seeingyou then.

** A valid email address is

necessary so that parents

can access the MMGCI Parent

Portal**

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DO YOU STILL HAVE OUTSTANDING STUDENT FEES?There are still some student fee payments outstanding for the 2016-2017 school year. If yourson’s/daughter’s fees are unpaid, we would welcome partial or full payment at your earliestconvenience. If you have any questions about student fees, please contact Mrs. Sollosy at 306-683-7750.

YEARBOOKS: Have you lost your old yearbook? Do you regret not ordering one whenyou had the chance? The yearbook club is now selling retired copies of the Marion Graham yearbook.Yearbooks produced before the 2014-2015 school year can now be purchased for $20. We have extracopies of almost every year, dating back to 1985. If you are interested in purchasing a retiredyearbook, please contact Mrs. O’Dell at the school. NOTE: If you wish to purchase a 2016-2017yearbook, the deadline is March 31, 2017. The cost this year is $40.

SPS DRIVER EDUCATION SUMMER SESSION 2017SPS Driver Ed Summer Sessions Mount Royal or Evan Hardy Collegiate July 4—14, 2017 or July 31—August 11, 2017 For more information visit http://www.spsd.sk.ca/Schools/drivereducation/Pages/default.aspx Please note: the online application will be available on the site in February

FROM THE SPS BOARD TABLE…Highlights from the February 14, 2017, meeting of the Board of Education:

Students in Saskatoon Public Schools will begin the 2017-18 school yearimmediately following the Labour Day weekend. The first day of classes for studentsin both elementary and high school will be Tuesday, Sept. 5, with the final day forstudents on June 27, 2018. The calendar includes a 16-day winter break from Dec.23 to Jan. 7, a nine-day break from Feb. 17-25, and a 10-day spring break fromMarch 30 to April 8. A complete calendar will be available in the coming weeks.

The FLEX Program (Flexible Schedule, Blended Learning) program located at CityPark School was highlighted for trustees. The program support students in grades7-10 who are involved in high-level training in arts and athletics outside of theregular school setting. FLEX students told trustees that the program’s combinationof face-to-face and online learning has allowed them to better balance their livesand resulted in improved academic performance, in addition to allowing for moretraining opportunities.

Plans for the 12th annual Literacy for Life Conference were announced. The eventwill run May 1-5 with the theme of Saskatchewan Stories. Literacy learningopportunities for both elementary and high school students will take placethroughout the week. The keynote speaker for the event’s gala evening will beauthor and historian Dr. Bill Waiser.

Reports and information presented at board meetings can be found atwww.saskatoonpublicschools.ca. The next meeting of the Board of Education is Tuesday,March 14, 2017, at 7 p.m. The public is welcome to attend.

FROM STUDENT SERVICES . . .4

University of SaskatchewanApplication Process

Grade 12 students across the province and the country are applying to the U of S and are being conditionally admitted for September 2017. Students who have not already applied are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. They can apply online at http://explore.usask.ca/admission/application/.

Reminder — your application, transcript, and application fee must be submitted to the University of Saskatchewan no later than May 1, 2017, to apply for Arts and Sciences.

If you have specific questions, contact the Recruitment and Admissions Office at the University of Saskatchewan — (306) 966-5788.

SASKATCHEWAN POLYTECHNICWHEN SHOULD I APPLY?You may apply as soon as you are enrolled in the grade level and the courses you require for admission. For instance, you may apply to a program with Grade 12 as an admission requirement in September of your Grade 12 year.

HOW DO I APPLY?Apply online at www.saskpolytech.ca

If you have specific questions contact : 1-866-467-4278

• Saskatoon Campus • Regina Campus • Moose Jaw Campus• Prince Albert Campus

Internet Sites for SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION

Student Awardswww.yconic.com

Canada Scholarshipswww.scholarshipscanada.com

School Finderwww.schoolfinder.com

Sasknet Workwww.sasknetwork.ca

Free scholarship information servicewww.freeschinfo.com

Association of Universities and Colleges of Canadawww.aucc.ca

Fast Web (U.S.A. based)www.fastweb.com

Next Student (U.S.A. based)www.nextstudent.com

Canadian Financial Aid Searchwww.finaid.org

University of Saskatchewanwww.explore.usask.ca/moneymatters/scholarships

University of Reginawww.uregina.ca/safa/awards

Saskatchewan Polytechnicwww.saskpolytech.ca/admissions/resources/scholarships-and-awards.aspxSGEU Scholarships

www.sgeu.org/member-resources/scholarships-bursariesAboriginal Canadians and Visible Minority Scholarship

www.nupge.caNational Aboriginal Achievement Foundation

www.indspire.caCanadian Hospitality Foundation

www.thechf.ca/scholarships.ca

A reminder to check the “COUNSELLORS CORNER” on the School Portal for current information regarding post-secondary programs, scholarships and other opportunities. This is our primary means of getting this information out to students and families.

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The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Program is now at Marion Graham!

The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award encourages young people ages 14 to 24 to make a difference while exploring their potential, taking on new challenges, and achieving success.

The Award is comprised of three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Participants must set and achieve goals in four different areas that allow them to get involved with their community, explore the great outdoors, discover or enhance a skill or hobby, and engage in regular physical activity. The length of time for each component will vary depending on the Award Level. Students may complete one Award Level or all three!

More information on the Award Program is available at www.dukeofed.org. Students may sign up online and get started right away or paper registration forms are available in Student Services. Upon enrollment in the program, students set goals for themselves in each of the 4 component areas (Community Service, Skill Development, Physical Recreation and Adventurous Journey) and begin logging their time spent on each component in an online record book.

Students also have the opportunity to earn Special Project credits for their involvement in the program, provided the paperwork is in place to do so.

Any questions about this program may be directed to Donna Bouchard, Student Services Counsellor, via email to bouchardd@spsd.sk.ca or by phone to 306-683-7765.

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It is never too early for a student to begin to plan his or her career path.All students of Saskatoon Public Schools have access to the softwareprogram “SaskCareers”. SaskCareers has been designed with one goalin mind: to help students plan their future. Equipped with assessmenttools, detailed occupation profiles, and comprehensive post-secondaryeducation information, students can move seamlessly though the careerdiscovery process. At the same time, it guides students through resumeand online portfolio building in preparation for their entry into the world ofwork.

You may access SaskCareers as follows: www.saskcareers.ca

CAREER DISCOVERY CORNER

WHAT IS WWW.MYBLUEPRINT.CA?...Myblueprint.ca is a website where you can:

Plan your high school timetable and keep track of courses you have completed See which post secondary programs and apprenticeships would be available to you

based on the classes you take in high school Compare post secondary programs side by side Take interest inventories to see what you might be interested in doing after high

school.

All you need to do is create an account using our school activation code: mariong3

MMGCI ATHLETICS…

SPRING GOLF DEVELOPMENT CLUB… Even though the snow stillremains on our lawns, we all hope the spring golf season is just around the corner. Weather permitting,the golf program at Graham will start up the last week of April. Our golf program is designed for maleand female players of every grade and ability level. The program consists of two parts: adevelopmental component, as well as a competitive component. As a development program, we inviteall students who wish to learn the game of golf to come out and participate. Students will get theopportunity to work on their swing at the driving range and play 9 holes during our play days wheneverthey feel ready. For more experienced golfers, we also offer an opportunity for students to qualify toplay in the City High School Golf Championship tournament which will be held in June. Players canchoose to take part in any or all of the events that the spring golf program offers. There are no cuts;everyone is welcome. Everything we do in our season takes place at local golf courses, sotransportation and equipment must be looked after by the student. The school does have golfequipment that can be borrowed. Our program operates on a user-pay basis.

TRACK AND FIELD… Our Track and Field season starts on Monday, April 3. Wepractice Monday through Wednesday after school. We will participate in three Mini Meets this year. Thedates of these meets include: Thursday, April 27, Wednesday, May 3 and Thursday, May 11. Our CityChampionships will be on Wednesday, May 24 and Thursday, May 25. First and second place finishersfrom the City Championships will represent Saskatoon at the Provincial Championships in Saskatoon onFriday, June 2 and Saturday, June 3.

We hope to see lots of participants out for the season. Please see Coach Andrews if you have any questions. See you on April 3.

Coach Andrews

KATEPWEWISIPIY–CANOE CLUB… It is an exciting time forKatepwewisipiy as the second semester has now begun. This means we can look past the snow andstart thinking about canoeing; the mild winter gives us hope for a beautiful spring just around thecorner. The executive of the club has been working hard already, with the help of Mr. Donkin and Mrs.McVittie. With over sixty members, four trailers and 32 high quality canoes, this club is one of thelargest in the city. We will be holding pool sessions in mid-April, in order to assess our members’ skillsand to teach some basic canoe skills in the pool. Once that is complete, we will be able to get out onthe water and practice on the pond, and the South Saskatchewan River, in preparation for our four dayspring canoe trip from May 24-27. Other spring events include a riverbank cleanup at the end of Aprilso our students can give back to the community and the environment. We are also doing our annualbottle drive fundraiser in early May, so start saving your recyclables!

Mrs. McVitte, Mr. Donkin and Canoe Club Executive

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JR. GIRLS BASKETBALL… Congratulations to the Jr. Girls’ Basketball teamon a successful season! The team had a ton of fun, and each team member improved so much!Highlights from the season include defeating Bedford Road in playoffs and our final game againstMount Royal. You kept everyone on the edge of their seats! Looking forward to seeing you all outagain next season. Special thanks to Ruben Peters and Megan Peters for all of their help coachingthis season! CoachThiessen

DATES TO REMEMBER…MarchMarch 8 Economics for SuccessMarch 14 Healthlink (Grades 10 and 11)March14-16 Jr. Music TourMarch 20-22 Grad PhotosMarch 23 Student Progress Conferences, 5 to 8 PMMarch 24 School PD - No classes

Student Progress Conferences, 1 to 3 PMAprilApril 12 P.A.R.T.Y. Grade 10’sApril 14 Good FridayApril 17-21 Spring BreakApril 28 Report Cards Distributed

MayMay 1 School Community Council, 7 PMMay 4 Digitized 2017

(Grade 11 and 12 students)May 10 Cultural Diversity Festival Period 2 & 3May 11 Variety Night 7 PMMay 17 Jazz Night at The Bassment, 7 PMMay 19 School PD No Classes for StudentsMay 22 Victoria Day HolidayMay 24-27 Canoe TripMay 30 Music Dept. Final Concert, 7 PM

JuneJune 5 Athletic Awards Banquet, 5:30 PMJune 6 Colour Day, 2 PMJune 6 Library Books DueJune 12 School Community Council, 7 PMJune 20 Semester II Final Assessment for Period 5

(Grade 12 students only)June 21-23 & 26 Semester II Final Assessments for all gradesJune 27 Semester II Final Assessment for Period 5

(Grades 9, 10, and 11 only)June 28 GraduationJune 30 Grade 9 Orientation 9:30 AMJune 30 Last Day for StaffJuly Report Cards Mailed

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