SOURIS SCHOOL NEWSLETTER http://schools.shmb.ca/sci. Number 14, March 15, 2013 NEWS FROM MR. WILLIAMS I just read the weather report for the next few days. Guess what, reports of snow again. 5-10 cm today into Friday, close to 10 cm on Sunday, and another 5 cm next Wednesday. Please be careful on those highways and keep an eye out for children playing on snow hills around town. Progress reports should have come home today. We have scheduled interviews for families with siblings so that you will be able to attend interviews the same evening. If your assigned time is not suitable, please contact your child’s teacher to attempt to schedule a new time, convenient for both of you. In Middle Years and Senior Years all students have more than one teacher. Staff would sincerely like to meet with parents of all students they teach, however for our Music, Phys-Ed, and Senior Years staff this is simply not feasible due to the large number of students it would involve. For that reason, priority for scheduling interviews has been given to the homeroom teacher. Their role is to have a general conversation with you about your child’s progress and to attempt to answer any questions you might have. Please understand that they will not be able to speak to you and answer specific questions relating to your child’s course work if they do not teach your child. The homeroom teacher’s role is to act as your child’s primary contact at the School. If you need a general question answered, you are to contact them. Parents, please be proactive. If you wish to speak to a specific teacher about a specific

course please make contact with that teacher to request an interview time. The teacher’s email for a specific class is located in the Class Portal. You may also check interview schedules, which will be posted outside of each Senior Years classroom, to see when that teacher is available. Interview dates and times are: Tuesday, March 19th – 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 20th – 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Mr. Cwir will be available for interviews on Wednesday, March 20th. We look forward to seeing you and discussing your child’s/children’s education. As well, there are no classes on Friday, March 22nd. This day is also an Administration Day for teaching staff. Have a great weekend. WELCOME! From March 11th to May 3rd, we are fortunate to have numerous student teachers joining our classrooms. We would like to give a warm welcome to the following student teachers: Brooke Atkins (with Mrs. O’Brien); Julie Dyck (Miss Fordyce and Mrs. Hicks); Jasmine Fidierchuk (Mr. Yon); Kelsey Foote (Mr. Elder); Danica Kiez (Mrs. Kempthorne); Sarah Lopes (Mr. Penner); Erin Visch-Krahn (Mrs. Young); Shayla Zadarozny (Miss Birch); Daniel Palmer (Mr. Cwir). MESSAGE FROM MR. SKELTON Hello Parents, I am a supervisor with an EF (Education First) group that is taking 29 Souris students and 4 Hartney students to England and Europe. As a result, I will not be available during interview times that are scheduled for Tuesday, March 19th from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and Wednesday,

March 20th from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.. If you would like to meet to discuss your child's progress, I can be reached at this email: corys@shmb.ca or at the school at 483-2161 and push 0 to arrange an interview.

•Cory Skelton

EARLY YEARS NEWS Mrs. Kempthorne's 1/2 class won a Egg Painting Party. Fun Time Pottery posted a challenge on Facebook and the class with the most "likes" won a party. Mrs. Kempthorne's class won with 224 votes! On Monday, the owner from Fun Time Pottery will bring all her supplies to their classroom and each student will get to decorate their own ceramic egg. Thank you to all our parents and friends who voted for us!

USED BOOK SALE There will be a used book sale during interview times next week. Please be sure to stop by in the Early Years end and check out the great selection! All proceeds will go towards early years playground equipment. MIDDLE YEARS NEWS Generating Momentum For Our World – “Food For All” – Thursday, March 14th, a group of grade 8 Social Justice Fighters accompanied Mrs. Sobry to a conference in Virden. Food For All was a conference for Middle Years students that explored global food security, global hunger, and how we can take action as a global community to improve access to food for all. The students participated in workshops and activities throughout the day, focusing on issues around food security and also investigated ways that we could work together to improve access to food for every person in our world now, and in the future. This workshop was led by the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation. A huge “thank you” to Southwest Horizon School Division for sponsoring our students and their attendance at this conference!

Middle Years Basketball – our grade 7 & 8 basketball season came to a close as our girls and boys teams participated in Zone tournaments on Monday, March 11th. Thank you to Miss Grona, Mrs. Penner, Miss Birch, and Mrs. Popple for sharing their time and enabling our students to develop their skills throughout the season! •Mrs. Leanne Rolfe ATTENTION PARENTS OF GRADE 7 & 9 STUDENTS In March and April, students will be doing health units that involve potentially sensitive content. The grade 7 unit will focus on puberty and the reproductive system. The grade 9 group will cover a wide range of topics including good decision making, STIs, birth control, teen pregnancy. These sessions will be conducted by public health nurse Elizabeth Rose. If you have questions about specific outcomes of these topics, please contact Rhonda Young at the school. GRADE 6 PARENTS Any parents planning on volunteering to chaperone for the grade 6 Circle Square Ranch Trip, June 13th & 14th will need to have Criminal Checks and Child Abuse Registry completed. Child Abuse Registry forms can be picked up at Souris School. Criminal Check forms can be picked up at your local RCMP office. Please begin this process soon, as it takes time for it to be processed. Thank you,

•Ms. Keyes, Mr. Elder AG IN THE CLASSROOM Mrs. McGregor’s class was lucky to have two special visitors this week. Johanne Rossi from Agriculture Manitoba came to talk about how farming and agriculture are important for all of us. She brought a local farmer, Diana Fraser with her. Dianna read us a book called Seed, Soil, Sun. She gave the book to our classroom! Diana also

brought some sunflower samples from her farm and left some shelled sunflower seeds for us to eat. They were yummy. We made our own canola oil with Johanne’s help. Lastly, we watched a Youtube video called I’m Farming and I Grow It. Thanks ladies for a jam packed and fun learning experience. •Mrs. Bev McGregor A NOTE FROM MUSIC On March 12th our grade 6’s and Choir Club had the great opportunity to work with performer/sound engineer/music educator Trist Curless. Trist is from Glendale, California and has been a member of the a cappella/jazz group M-Pact for 20 years. Through his many years of work in the music industry he has worked and performed with many icons such as Ray Charles, Sheryl Crow, Boyz II Men, Kenny G, New York Voices, Take 6, and Bobby McFerrin. Each of our grade 6 classes got to spend an hour working with Trist in which he spent time doing a brief history of a cappella music, worked on how to imitate the sounds of different instruments with our voices, and taught them the basics of vocal percussion/beat boxing. Each of our grade 6 classes also had selected a song that they wanted to learn to do a cappella. Trist aided them in being able to perform their song selections in whole without any help from the recordings. It was a true a cappella experience for both classes. Choir Club also spent an hour with Trist. They got to work on two songs that they have been working on in rehearsals. He taught them a lot about blend, elements of jazz, and always thinking about the story that you are telling through the music. He was very motivational with them and the group achieved great results within the short time they had with him. This is an experience that all will be sure to remember! •Ms. Brittany Goulet

DIVISION NEWS The Trustees of Southwest Horizon School Division invite you to participate in a public meeting to discuss the location and construction of a new administration office in Souris. Meeting Location: Hartney School Band Room, Time: 6:00 p.m. Date: Monday, April 8, 2013 Background: The current administration office in Souris is on a short term lease. The office is capable of providing a comfortable work space for 6 people and there are at present 9 members of staff working out of this building – Superintendent of Schools, Executive Secretary, Operations Supervisor, Operations Coordinator, Student Services/Curriculum Coordinator, CTS/Apprenticeship Coordinator, Occupational Therapist and Study Manitoba International Student Program Coordinator. Some equipment and supplies are stored off site as we do not have enough storage space. We have already reviewed the possibility of an RFP (request for proposal) but have determined that due to annual costs, owning our own building seems to be more advantageous over the long run. Proposal: We would propose to build an administrative office on Souris School property and look at amortization over a 20 year period. Budget considerations have been included in the 2013/14 budget deliberations. We would also like to provide an office for our School Psychologist and our Technology Coordinator within this building. Rationale: Our office space, which is currently leased, is insufficient for our needs.

It is very important to have a facility that all necessary personnel can be housed in.

If amalgamation of school divisions were to happen in the future, then having space on school grounds would be advantageous for future administration or educational purposes. KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION The school is now accepting registration for Kindergarten students for the 2013-2014 school year. Parents who have children of Kindergarten age are asked to register these children with the school secretary between 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday at the school office. Parents are asked to bring their child’s birth certificate when they come to register, so we can make a copy for our files. Children must be five years of age on or before December 31st, 2013. Anyone who is aware of neighbors and friends who may have children ready to begin Kindergarten in the fall are asked to pass the message on to them to assist with our school planning. CAREER EXPLORATION NEWS Souris School had another successful Brandon Career Symposium Trip. The various displays and booths were a great exposure for our Grade 10 students. The more informed the students are, the greater chance for achievement in their career path. Thanks are going out to Lakeland College for taking time to visit our school last week and deliver an informative session. This institution offers small class sizes, affordable tuition and extra curricular activities. The Grade 11’s are scheduled for a tour of Assiniboine Community College and Brandon University on Monday, March 18. This event is a first-rate opportunity for students to visit the post secondary institutions and to see different options available to them.

Last year's Souris School Career and Job Fair was an overwhelming success. This year's format for the annual event has been altered to accommodate more students from the Division. Instead of being held in the evening, the time has been changed to during the school day. The Southwest Horizon Division Career Day will be held Thursday, April 4 at Souris School from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Parents of students are encouraged to attend, along with everyone in the community, to check out careers and to obtain information on upgrading at post secondary institutions. There are many scholarships available to Grade 12 students right now. Please continue to stop in for more information. •Mrs. Cynthia Delaurier                                                             SOURIS PARENT ADVISORY COUNCIL For information on Souris PAC: email sourispac@shmb.ca, call Mandy at 204-483-2595 go to http://schools.shmb.ca/~sourispac/ Families are busier than ever these days, so brief monthly meetings and a few group activities through the year make the Parent Advisory Council a great way to stay connected to the school community. Anyone looking for more information can:

• email sourispac@shmb.ca, • call Mandy at 204-483-2595 • go to

http://schools.shmb.ca/~sourispac/

Upcoming Meeting Dates: Monday, April 8, 2013 – 7:00 p.m. Monday, May 13, 2013 – 7:00 p.m. Monday, June 10, 2013 – 7:00 p.m. Meetings are conducted efficiently, adjourning no later than 9:00 p.m., and with fairness to the members present in accordance with the agreements established by Souris School PAC. Motions are carried by a majority vote.

HOOPS MIDDLE YEAR BOYS Middle Years Boys Basketball ended their season March 11th in Killarney. They snuck out a win against Boissevaoin. Good Season Boys. •Coach Grona Junior Varsity The JV Girl’s Basketball team had a successful weekend at the Provincial championships last weekend. On Friday morning, the #5 ranked Sabres played the #4 ranked Warren Wildcats, in an intense and evenly matched game. For most of the first two quarters, the Sabres were trailing but in the last 2 minutes of the first half the Sabres went on a scoring spree, and ended up leading the Wildcats by 1 at the half. Unfortunately, due to foul trouble, the girls could not keep the momentum, and ended up dropping the first game by 11 points to the Wildcats. On Saturday morning the girls played in the consolation semi final against a team from The Pas. This time the girls came out firing on all cylinders right from the beginning and controlled the game from the get go. The girls ended up taking this game by 17 points, which put them in the consolation final game. In this game, the girls played against the host Immanuel Christian Falcons, in a great game that saw many lead changes. With some great fans behind them, and awesome play by everyone on the court, the Sabres came out victorious, and beat the Falcons 53-43 to become consolation champs! Congratulations girls! •Coach Prévost VARSITY GIRLS The Varsity Girls Basketball Team are off to the Provincial Championships in The Pas March 14-16. The girls have been practicing hard over the past two weeks and are eager to hit the floor. After

receiving an automatic wildcard, the team is ranked second for the Championship and receives a bye to the quarterfinals where they will face the winner of Steinbach Christian and Oscar Lathlin (host) on Thursday at 7pm. You can follow the team at mhsaa.mb.ca or on the Sabres Twitter account @sourissabres GO SABRES!

•Coach Penner SOURIS SCHOOL COMING EVENTS March 18 Gr. 11 to ACC and BU 19 PT Interviews – 5:00 – 8:00 pm 20 PT Interviews – 4:00 – 6:30 22 Admin. Day – NO CLASSES 25-29 Spring Break April 4 Southwest Horizon School Division Career Day – 10:00 am – 3:00 pm Souris School 8 PAC Meeting – 7:00 p.m. 22 Band Concert – Hartney-7:00 p.m. 23 Band Concert –Souris-7:00 p.m. 29 PD Day – NO CLASSES MAY 3,4,5 A Kidsummer Night’s Dream Drama Production 13 PAC Meeting – 7:00 p.m. 20 Victoria Day – No Classes 22 Gr. 5-8 Field Day @ Souris School 23 Raindate for above 29 Gr. 5-8 Divisional Track & Field Day – Brandon 30 Gr. 4, 6, & 9 Immunizations JUNE 10 PAC Meeting 24 Souris School Graduation 28 Administration Day – No School ATTENTION AGE 13-17 RECREATION HOCKEY PLAYERS Hockey is cancelled on Saturday, March 16th.

AVALON THEATRE Les Miserables – March 15th-17th

Rated: PG 158 min. Drama, Romance, Musical In 19th century France, Jean Valjean, who for decades has been hunted by the ruthless policeman Javert after he breaks parole, agrees to care for factory worker Fantine’s daughter, Cosette. The fateful decision changes their lives forever. Stars: Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway Parental Guidance – March 22nd-24th Rated: G – 105 minutes Comedy Artie and Diane agree to look after their three grandkids when their type-A helicopter parents need to leave town for work. Problems arise when the kids 21st century behavior collides with Artie and Diane’s old-school methods. Stars: Billy Crystal, Bette Midler, Marisa Tomei Broken City – March 29th – 31st Rated: 14A 109 min Crime, Drama, Thriller In a city rife with injustice, ex-cop Billy Taggart seeks redemption and revenge after being double-crossed and then framed by its most powerful figure: Mayor Nicholas Hostetler Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Russell Crowe, Catherine Zeta-Jones Concession Prices: Drinks, bars and sm. popcorn $1.50 and up Movie Times – 7:30 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Sunday Admission Adults-$6.00, Students-$5.00, Children under 4-$4.00 SUNFLOWER TEA HOUSE Daily soup & 1 pkg. crackers 2.50 Hot Dog 2.50 Hamburger 3.50 Cheeseburger 3.75 Pizza Pops 2.00

Sandwiches: Ham, Chicken, Cheese 3.25 Caesar salad with 1 dressing 3.50 Chicken Caesar Salad with 1 dressing 4.25 Chicken Wraps – with 1 dressing 4.00 Extra salad dressings .25 Extra crackers .25 Specials – Daily specials are 4.25 and include Swiss roll for dessert Monday-Grilled Cheese & Bag of Veggies Tuesday – Taco in a Bag Wednesday – Peroghies (6) & sour cream Thursday – Chili & a bun Friday – Pizza Monday – Chicken Burger Tuesday – Taco in a Bag Wednesday – Mac & Cheese Thursday – Pulled Pork Friday – Pizza Snacks Veggie bag & dip 1.50 Old Dutch Chips 1.00 Long John’s 1.25 Hot rod 1.25 Rice krispie cake 1.00 Beef Jerky 1.75 Puffed wheat cake 1.00 Apple fritters 1.25 Cookies .75 Muffins .75 Donuts 1.00 Twister 1.25 Fruit ( in season) 1.00 Drinks Apple juice or orange juice 300ml bottles - 1.25 White or chocolate milk - small 1.25, large 1.75

COMMUNITY EVENTS Souris Minor Ball Registration Located in front of the school office Tuesday,March 19th from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Wednesday March 20th from 4:00 pm.–6:30 p.m. (These are the Parent Teacher Interview evenings at the school)

**NEW THIS YEAR** EARLY BIRD REGISTRATION FEES If paid by March 29th, 2013 you will be eligible to win 1 free ball registration fee for 2013. Draw to be made March 30th. Registrations can also be mailed to: Souris Minor Ball, Box 445 Souris, Manitoba R0K 2C0 If you are requiring any additional information or for registration by phone please contact: Melainie Matiowsky 204-483-2995 (H) or 204-741-1151 (C) and by e-mail: melainiem@hotmail.com SOURIS DISTRICT ARTS COUNCIL The Souris and District Arts Council has two upcoming concerts to finish off their 2012-2013 season.

Friday, March 22 "The Travelling Mabels" will present their concert at the Souris Glenwood Community Hall at 7:30 p.m. This folk/country female trio is full of spirit, spunk and laughter. The "Mabels" represent three generations of women who have dynamic energy, both musically and in the rapport with their audiences. The "Travelling Mabels" were winners of the Alberta Country Music Assoc. 'Group of the Year' award in 2011. Ticket prices are: Early Bird $16; At the

Door $20; Students $10; Family $42.

Friday, April 12 "Outerbridge - Clockwork Mysteries" is a high energy magical adventure for both adult and family audiences. Ted and Marion Outerbridge come from Montreal and have been hailed " as the most successful magicians in Canada." This touring illusion show has received both the 2011 Award of Excellence from Ontario Contact and the 2010 Touring Artist of the Year award from the B.C. Touring Council. Who needs to go to Las Vegas to see magic and illusions when you can have a great evening for the whole family right at the Souris Glenwood Community Hall on April 12 at 7:30 p.m. Ticket prices are the same.

Two great evenings of entertainment so circle your calendar now. FREE TICKETS The 2013 Royal Manitoba Winter Fair is quickly approaching and is scheduled for Brandon’s Keystone Centre Monday, March 25th – Saturday, March 30th, 2013. The Royal Manitoba Winter Fair features international caliber equestrian competitions, cattle shows, an amazing interactive Ag Education Area, a trade show, top notch entertainment and a terrific Petting Zoo! It’s a wonderful place for a family to spend time during Spring Break. Due to the generous support of sponsors, the Provincial Exhibition of Manitoba is able to provide FREE children’s admission tickets to students’ ages 6 to 12. These tickets can be downloaded from the Provincial Exhibition website, until March 24th, 2013, at www.brandonfairs.com If you are interested in entering the Miss Piggy Scramble ~ Wednesday March 27th or the Pig Scramble ~ Thursday March 28th at the Royal Manitoba Winter Fair you can contact the Exhibition Office for information on these contests.

CAMP BRIDGES Camp Wannakumbac, Clear Lake Friday, May 31, 2013 (6:15 drop off) Sunday, June 2, 2013 (1:00 pm drop off) This camp is open to any child in Manitoba, aged 7-17 years, who is grieving the death of someone significant in their lives. Archery, Canoeing, Memorial Activities Hiking, Campfire Camp Bridges will provide a safe environment where the campers have opportunities to interact and share their feelings with other children in similar circumstances. They may learn to understand their grief, recognize that they are not alone and that their feelings are normal. The camp is not designed to provide grief therapy, but we will acknowledge the loss and grief, honour memories, and have some fun, too. Registrations must be received by May 3, 2013. There is no cost for the camp. Forms are available in the office. Souris Elks Lodge is sponsoring two students to Camp Wannacumbac this year. Deadline for submitting applications is March 18th. No late applications will be accepted. Please call Brian Parham at 483-3015 evenings. Turtle Mountain Bible Camp for 2013 forms are available at the office. SOURIS VALLEY RECREATION COMMISSION Upcoming Community Programs 483-5214 or svrc@mymts.net Community Badminton Drop In Community Badminton is available at the Souris School subject to school availability. Please bring your own racquet. Wednesdays 7:30pm Sundays 7:30pm $15 for season towards purchase of birdies

Walking in the Complex Come join us inside while the weather outside is miserable and make your laps around the complex. Pedometers are available at the recreation office Zumba® Zumba classes feature exotic rhythms set to high-energy Latin and international beats. Before participants know it, they’re getting fit and their energy levels are soaring! There’s no other fitness class like a Zumba Fitness-Party. It’s easy to do, effective and totally exhilarating, often building a deep-rooted community among returning students. Mondays January 14 – April 1 6:00- 7:00pm Thursdays January 10 – March 28 6:00 – 7:00 pm Mondays and Thursdays in Souris & Glenwood Community Hall $120.00 for once a week $190.00 for twice a week Drop In Price $13.00 DELORAINE BORDER FESTIVAL Dates: Piano: April 8-12 Vocal /Choral and Visual Arts: April 15-19 Speech Arts and Dance: April 22-26 Provincial syllabus available at Deloraine town library. Everything you need to know and entry forms at www.deloraineborderfestival.net Deloraine Border Festival Roast Beef Supper & Rainbow Auction Friday, March 15th 5:00 - 7:00 pm Deloraine Legion Please come out and support our Festival of the Arts. Donations to the Rainbow Auction would be welcomed.

THINK SPRING!

(on this blustery, cold March weekend!)

SOURIS’ 1st ANNUAL RELAY FOR LIFE Friday June 7, 2013 6 pm to 6 am Victoria Park in the Bowl For more info contact Arlene Page @ 204-483-2528 or email at - japages@yahoo.com CAMPBELL’S SOUP “LABELS FOR EDUCATION” THANK YOU to everyone who clips and saves those labels and UPC codes. If you use these products then save those labels – Campbell’s Condensed soup, Chunky soup, Broth, Ramen Hearty Noodles, Ramen Hearty Noodles, Ready to serve soup, Habitant, Gardennay, Soup at Hand, V8Soups, Easy cooking sauces along with Prego sauce, V8 Splash/Fusion, Pace Salsa, Goldfish crackers. Collection bins are at the school, Big Way and Robbins Fine Foods. It seems like a lot of work but the labels would be just heading to the garbage anyways. The school appreciates everyone that has supported this program, so keep on saving those labels. Remember, both the label and UPC are needed. •Glenda McConnell