Semester 2 Starts on Monday, February 3For all Grades 7-12 students, it's a new start on Monday, February 3rd, with Semester 2 of the 2024-25 school year starting. Grades 9-12 students can access their new schedules on their PowerSchool Apps as well as log onto their PowerSchool accounts using a desktop or laptop computer and a web browser (Chrome, Safari, etc). If you can't access that, you will find the class lists for all the Semester 2, first-period classes posted on bulletin boards and library windows when you come into school. Once you get to your first-period class, you will receive a paper copy of your Semester 2 timetable from your teacher. february is, "I love to read" MonthFebruary is "I Love to Read Month," and our K-4 students kicked off the celebration with an assembly. This year, we're celebrating the joy of reading with a theme inspired by the Seven Sacred Teachings. Each K-4 class has a reading goal for February. If we achieve the goal, Mr. Watson will reward our class with $100 worth of books from Scholastic Book Clubs! We’re excited for a month packed with fun activities to inspire a love of reading! One of the activities is a reading calendar. The calendar has suggested activities that you can do at home with your child. If your child completes an activity, their name will be entered into a draw for a prize. Thank you for supporting and fostering a love of reading at home! library newsThe Library Window is decorated for the month of February - "Reading helps us grow!" Thanks to Jessica Limpright and Megan Thiessen for dressing up the window and making our entranceway more exciting! Cindy Smith was baking her famous "I love to read" cookies for a sweet treat for the kids during February! Thank you Mrs. Smith! a number of student fees remain unpaid![]() Now that semester 1 has officially ended and we are set to begin semester 2, there are still a number of outstanding fees for extra-curricular sports and first semester school fees. Semester 2 will also bring new fees if your students are enrolling in Visual Arts, Band, and/or Home Ec. Please ensure you keep on top of these fees. We would ask all parents to access (or create) their SchoolCashOnline portal and have a look at your student(s)' account and try to clear up some of those fees or reach out to the school if they have circumstances requiring some sort of payment arrangement. If you are reluctant about using SchoolCashOnline or are not confident in navigating it, please contact Michelle Driedger at the school (204.746.2612). Michelle would be happy to walk you through the portal either by phone or email with detailed instructions so you can confidently access your student(s)' accounts. robotics team qualifies for the worlds!Morris Robotics team Blue Bombur has qualified to represent Manitoba at the VEX Robotics World Championships! This is the largest robotics competition in the world, and this video can give you an idea of the scale. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLMz48ZzgYQ This is a testament to the huge amount of time and effort the students put in. We also could not have done it without the great support we've received from the school, division, parents, sponsors, donors, and the community. This is the team's biggest challenge yet! We are excited to be having a kickoff event for our fundraising efforts on Feb. 11 at the Pembina Valley Twisters game. Puck drops at 8pm, and we'll be putting on displays before the game, and at the intermissions. The team is excited to get more students interested in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, and continue to improve their robot on their way to Dallas in May. We'd love to see you at the Morris Multiplex on February 11! mavericks athletics update![]() Hockey The Mavs hosted GVC on Friday night, falling 3-1. They enter the final week of the regular season with two big games ahead. On Wednesday they host Portage (puck drop 7:30) before hosting Pembina on Saturday at 4:30. Basketball As students studied and prepared for exams there were no league games scheduled this week. However, the Varsity Boys traveled to Gimli this weekend for their annual tournament. The boys battled against third ranked Frontier but lost 56-77 in the opening game Friday. They played a strong game against Riverton and won 89-40. In the consolation final they battled against Calvin Christian but came up short 45-56. This week sees all 3 teams (Varsity Girls, Varsity Boys, and JV Boys) travel to Shevchenko on Tuesday and Westpark on Thursday to compete in triple-headers against the Sabres and Royals. This weekend is also the Varsity Girls & Boys Home Tournament. The 7/8's competed in their last home game of the season this week vs. J.A. Cuddy. The Boys came out on top against the Jaguars while the girls fought hard but fell short in their game. Both teams travel to St. Malo on Tuesday for their first road games of the season. two maverick skates represent out of provinceTwo Mavericks made the trip to Regina this weekend for the Prairie Regional Synchronized Skating Championships. Grade 4 student Quinn Hamblin and Mrs. Siemens one of our 1/2 teachers. Both skate on teams with Pembina Pizazz out of the Morden Skating Club. Way to Go, MAVs! entertainment & dessert nightOn Wednesday, February 26th, 2025 at 7 PM, the Morris School Music Program is hosting our exciting annual Entertainment & Dessert Night in the music room. This special event, which serves as a fundraiser for the band program, will feature a showcase of talent from Morris School students in grades K-12! Come enjoy an evening of live performances, featuring music, singing, dancing, and more, and treat yourself to delicious coffee, tea, juice, and dessert during intermission. There will also be a silent auction with some great items up for grabs. Tickets are available for purchase in advance from any high school band student or from Ms. Colobong. Prices are $8 for adults, $5 for children, and free for performers. We encourage all students and families to attend this fun community event! If your child is interested in performing - whether it's music, singing, dancing, acting, magic, stand-up comedy, or another talent - we welcome them to audition! Sign up sheets are located outside of the music room. Auditions for K-8 students will take place in the music room on Tuesday, January 28th from 11:30 AM to 12:45 PM (depending on their lunch hour). Please note that due to high school exams happening this same week, the audition date for grade 9-12 students interested in performing will be on Wednesday, February 5th from 12:00-1:00 PM. We can't wait to see you there—it’s going to be an unforgettable night! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Ms. Colobong at [email protected]. outdoor education archery newsOn Tuesday January 28th, the Mavericks Outdoor Ed students were joined by members of Manitoba Wildlife Federation and National Archery Safety Program. The outdoor ed students got to shoot their brand new compound bows and arrows, which will replace the schools recurve bows which were purchased a LONG. TIME. AGO! In addition to getting new gear, the outdoor ed students got to star in a Promotional Video that will be used on the Manitoba Wildlife Federation and Archery Manitoba website! order before end of day, february 2ndattention class of 2025 families!special visitor to grade 1/2 this weekThis week the grade 1/2s had a special visit from a 4 day old lamb named Gladis. Thank you to Ms. Bartel Grade 9-12 Exams continueThe first day of exams was this past Friday. Exams continue this week. Here are a few logistics to remember...
powerSchool app use for Grades 9-12 students![]() To prevent overwhelming parents and students with information, especially in its draft form, we may need to temporarily disable access to the PowerSchool Parent and Student Portals until final marks are completed. We’re collaborating with the school division's Tech department to explore the possibility of keeping the portals available for timetables and class assignment lists while restricting access to final marks and comments. However, this may not be feasible. Please note that if you cannot access your timetable in advance, physical copies will be handed out in your first-period class on February 3rd. Period 1 class lists will also be posted in the hallways on the first day of the second semester for those who are unsure of which class they are in. grades 9-12: reminders from the office![]() The office is missing many loaner laptops. If you borrowed an office laptop for the day and forgot to return it please bring it to the office on Monday. Laptop and locker reminder for Semester Two vocational students. If you are attending an RRTVA vocational program next semester, please return your laptop and clean out your locker before January 30th. New lockers will be assigned to your vocational program directly. 5/6K are quilting on!Students in Ms. Kulbaba's Grade 5/6 class had the exciting opportunity to explore what life would have been like in New France by making a quilt by hand. Each student designed a quilt block representing a part of life that settlers would have experienced in New France and learned how to turn their ideas into applique templates. Students selected their fabrics from a decades-old stash of fabric scraps and learned to use an iron. They also learned about the history of quilts and how they can be used to tell a story and combined some modern technology, such as fusible web interfacing and some traditional techniques, like hand-tying the quilt with yarn, just like how quilts would have been made in the 1600s. Special thanks to quilter Ms. Margaret, who shared her time and expertise with us (and waited patiently through an evacuation and two snow days to finish)! The quilt will be on display in the library for any staff or students who would like to take a look. Way to Go, MAVs! card games help improve numeracy skills![]() Special thanks to Mrs. Harrison for the following... k-6 students: two fridays = two lunchesThank you to our newly formed Parent Advisory Council for organizing these two lunches for our K-6 students. Order via SchoolCashOnline. Please pay attention to the order deadlines listed in each advertisement. first week of lego club was a hit!![]() Our Lego Club started this week! We're happy so many students showed an interest. For those who missed it, here's some information for you... 🎉 Calling all LEGO lovers at Morris School! 🎉 Mrs. Whitely is kicking off an AWESOME LEGO Club, and you're invited to join the fun! 🌟 🧱 What’s LEGO Club? It’s your chance to build, create, and let your imagination run wild with LEGO during your lunch recess! Meet up with friends and dive into the world of endless possibilities. 🚀✨ 🛠 Where? Head over to the NEW Flex Classroom in the Old Kindergarten Room—it’s all set up for your building adventures! 🗓 When’s Your Day to Build? Here’s the schedule so you can mark your calendars:
entertainment and dessert nightOn Wednesday, February 26th, 2025 at 7 PM, the Morris School Music Program is hosting our exciting annual Entertainment & Dessert Night, in the music room. This special event, which serves as a fundraiser for the band program, will feature a showcase of talent from Morris School students in grades K-12! Come enjoy an evening of live performances, featuring music, singing, dancing, and more, and treat yourself to delicious coffee, tea, juice, and dessert during intermission. There will also be a silent auction with some great items up for grabs. Tickets are available for purchase in advance from any high school band student or from Ms. Colobong. Prices are $8 for adults, $5 for children, and free for performers. We encourage all students and families to attend this fun community event! If your child is interested in performing - whether it's music, singing, dancing, acting, magic, stand-up comedy, or another talent - we welcome them to audition! Sign-up sheets are located outside of the music room. Auditions for K-8 students will take place in the music room on Tuesday, January 28th from 11:30 AM to 12:45 PM (depending on their lunch hour). Please note that due to high school exams happening this same week, the audition date for grade 9-12 students interested in performing will be on Wednesday, February 5th from 12:00-1:00 PM. We can't wait to see you there—it’s going to be an unforgettable night! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Ms. Colobong at [email protected]. robotics teams in the news and competitionsCongratulations to our two VEX Robotics teams (and the entire Robotics Club), led by Mr. Jamieson, for being FRONT. PAGE. NEWS. in the Winnipeg Free Press this week (screenshots of the article are below as is a link to the article). https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/sci-tech/2025/01/23/building-the-future In competition news...For the first time, Morris Robotics had two teams competing in the USA on Friday, Blue Bombur (blue) and Phillip (gold). Blue Bombur went in as a veteran team for their third tournament, which was the debut for Phillip. Out of 57 teams, Phillip finished 18th, and Blue Bombur finished 14th in our main competition. In the playoffs, Blue Bombur was knocked out in the round of 16. Blue Bombur did walk away with another trophy, their third in three tournaments, with another Judge's Award. The competition was tough, including the 24th best team in the world (impressive when you consider there are 14000 teams around the world). It was a great learning experience for both teams, so well done! Way to Go, MAVs! tim hortons camp comes to morris schoolThis week, the 5/6s received visits from Tim Hortons Camp leaders who engaged students in various activities which encouraged cooperative team-building, confidence and leadership skills. We thank the Tim Hortons Foundation for providing our school with this opportunity. ![]() mavericks athletic update![]() Basketball Due to road conditions, the Varsity Girls and JV Boys had games cancelled this Tuesday. They will be made up on Feb 18th here in Morris. The JV and Varsity Boys hosted RVS on Thursday night with the JV Boys coming up short and the Varsity Boys walking away with a decisive win. There will be no league games this week as students prepare for exams. The Varsity Boys head to Gimli this coming weekend to compete in a tournament. Our 7/8's got off to a great start, going undefeated last week. The Girls started with a tie against Oak Bluff, while the Boys were victorious in their game. This week the 7/8's play at home on Wednesday against JA Cuddy (Girls at 4, Boys right after). Hockey The Mavs defeated GVC last Friday 4-1. They host Morden this Friday here in Morris (Puck drop at 8:00 pm). With 2 weeks left in the regular season, the Mavs currently sit in a tie for second place. are you an innovator?Exams this week!The January 2025 Exam schedule is below. We have Provincial Math Exams this week (Essentials and Applied) as well as our first full day of exams on Friday. Students from Grades 9-12 are welcome but not expected to attend school on the days they don't have exams. Students can also leave school immediately following their exam but do not have to leave. If grades 9-12 students are at the school during the exam week and not writing an exam, they are expected to use either the library, the MPR, or an approved empty classroom to study for their next exam or finish any assignments that their teachers would accept. Some tips to help our Mavericks get prepared can also be found below. Reach out to your teachers, create study groups, and reduce your scrolling time or video game time to dedicate it to a focused study session. reminders from the office!![]() The office is missing many loaner laptops. If you borrowed an office laptop for the day and forgot to return it please bring it to the office on Monday. Laptop and locker reminder for Semester two vocational students. If you are attending an RRTVA vocational program next semester, please return your laptop and clean out your locker before January 30th. New lockers will be assigned with your vocational program directly. morris school parent advisory council news![]() We are thrilled to announce the reformation of the Morris School Parent Advisory Council (PAC)! Our team is eager to build a strong and supportive partnership between parents, teachers, and students to enhance learning, engagement, and the overall educational experience at Morris School. A Special Thank You We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Mike Watson for his incredible dedication and initiative in bringing the PAC back to life. His efforts have paved the way for us to make a meaningful impact in our school community. Thank you, Mike! Meet the PAC Team We’re excited to introduce the dedicated members of our PAC Executive:
Our Mission The PAC is committed to enhancing the educational experience of our students by organizing events and providing resources that directly support their academic, social, and emotional growth. We look forward to working collaboratively with teachers, parents, and students to achieve this mission. Get Involved One of the best ways to support your child’s school experience is by volunteering. Our Volunteer Coordinator, Lorraine Hamblin, along with Julie Serediuk, has created an easy way for you to express your interest in helping out with various school activities. This ensures we can match volunteers with the areas where they are most needed. Please take a moment to fill out our volunteer form: Click here-->Volunteer Form. Stay Connected We aim to keep you informed and engaged through regular updates on our blog, the Morris School website, and social media. Our committee meeting minutes and other updates will also be shared to ensure transparency and communication.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us with any questions, ideas, or feedback. We’re here to support our school community and look forward to hearing from you. Together, we can make a positive impact on the lives of our students. Let’s make this a fantastic year for the Morris School community! Calling All Performers Auditions for Entertainment & Dessert NightOn Wednesday, February 26th, 2025 at 7 PM, the Morris School Music Program is hosting our exciting annual Entertainment & Dessert Night in the music room. This special event, which serves as a fundraiser for the band program, will feature a showcase of talent from Morris School students in grades K-12! Come enjoy an evening of live performances, featuring music, singing, dancing, and more, and treat yourself to delicious coffee, tea, juice, and dessert during intermission. There will also be a silent auction with some great items up for grabs. Tickets are available for purchase in advance from any high school band student or from Ms. Colobong. Prices are $8 for adults, $5 for children, and free for performers. We encourage all students and families to attend this fun community event! If your child is interested in performing - whether it's music, singing, dancing, acting, magic, stand-up comedy, or another talent - we welcome them to audition! Sign-up sheets are located outside of the music room. Auditions for K-8 students will take place in the music room on Tuesday, January 28th, from 11:30 AM to 12:45 PM (depending on their lunch hour). Please note that due to high school exams happening this same week, the audition date for grade 9-12 students interested in performing will be Wednesday, February 5th, from 12:00-1:00 PM. We can't wait to see you there—it’s going to be an unforgettable night! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Ms. Colobong at [email protected]. mavericks athletic update![]() Hockey The MAVs went 1-1 in league play this week, beating NPC 3-2 in OT on Wednesday before falling to Pembina the next night 5-3. Their next game is this Friday vs. GVC @ 8:00pm in Morris. Basketball The Varsity Girls dropped 2 close games this week against Shevchenko and Carman. They look to bounce back when they host Westpark on Tuesday at 7:30pm. The Varsity Boys had a better week, defeating Shevchenko in their only game Monday night. Wrestling A few Maverick wrestlers travelled to our first tournament out of province. It was a great tournament with wrestlers from as far west as Manitoba and as far east as Thunder Bay. After the mats were rolled up, James C won his weight class, and Geraldo B wrestled above his weight class and earned a silver medal. Wrestlers are back to practice on Monday in preparation for their next tournament on February 8th at Grant Park High School. Rugby It’s that time of year again, RUGBY SEASON! Our first meeting for both returning players and new players will be this Wednesday, Jan. 22nd in Mr. Antoski’s room at 12:15. We will be addressing the season outlook, training camps, and so on. If you want to give rugby a try come on down, and help us go back-to-back as JV champions and claim Varsity’s first gold medal! lego club comes to morris school![]() 🎉 Calling all LEGO lovers at Morris School! 🎉 Mrs. Whitely is kicking off an AWESOME LEGO Club, and you're invited to join the fun! 🌟 🧱 What’s LEGO Club? It’s your chance to build, create, and let your imagination run wild with LEGO during your lunch recess! Meet up with friends and dive into the world of endless possibilities. 🚀✨ 🛠 Where? Head over to the NEW Flex Classroom in the Old Kindergarten Room—it’s all set up for your building adventures! 🗓 When’s Your Day to Build? Here’s the schedule so you can mark your calendars:
💡 Don’t forget to bring your creativity and big ideas! LEGO Club is the perfect place to have fun, explore, and build something amazing. Can’t wait to see you there! morris robotics club are media darlings!For the first time, Morris Robotics is sending two teams to the USA for a tournament on Friday, January 24. You can see more of Team Blue Bombur (blue hats) and the new Team Phillip (gold hats) here on CTV News. https://www.ctvnews.ca/winnipeg/article/robots-giving-manitoba-students-an-edge-in-competitive-world-of-stem/ https://www.ctvnews.ca/winnipeg/video/2025/01/15/robots-built-by-manitoba-students-going-head-to-head/ not too late to join and its...free!!Link for the raffle below... https://www.fundingchange.ca/morris-school/Z37bHYyaCB3_sQxH?utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8bUYeZiU4h6Bs3tnC4sfJC5jGR59cZ7ldMPP8t9PcqmeUjIBsiWebNqlkgJJvWJLASua_JY2Z4MBxF2gCZ6PGOhn3ORw&_hsmi=259531811&utm_content=259531811&utm_source=hs_automation More Exams are around the cornerA number of our Grade 12 students completed their first exams of this school year this past week. We have several others to come for more of our high school students. The schedule is below. Some tips to help our Mavericks get prepared can also be found below. Reach out to your teachers, create study groups, and reduce your scrolling time or video game time to dedicate it to a focused study session. the food banks thanks Morris schoolthe 1/2s had a special visitorThe grade 1/2's started off the new year with another community helper. Access Credit Union came to talk about the importance they play within our community. The wonderful ladies of ACU were accompanied by the D.O.G. (Director of Greetings) Nickel. Nickel showed the students tricks such as "sit," "lay down," and "play dead." Thank you so much, Access Credit Union! national burn week poster competition![]() National Burn Awareness Week is February 2nd – 8th, 2025 and as we are in these extreme Manitoba temperatures, it’s a great time to continue with fire and burn prevention, keeping our homes and loved ones safe during these frigid winter months. The Firefighters Burn Fund, Manitoba Association of Fire Chiefs, Manitoba government and Office of the Fire Commissioner are encouraging students from grades 5 – 8 to make an original hand-drawn, colourful poster on 8 ½ x 11 paper, depicting any burn prevention/fire safety message for their chance to win a $200.00 Gift Card from Toys “R” Us. Deadline is March 28, 2025, so check out the link below for all information and get drawing! https://firecomm.gov.mb.ca/safety_baw.html mavericks athletic update![]() Hockey The Mavs got off to a great start in 2025 with victories over Mountain (7-3) and Miller (8-1). This week, they travel to Manitou on Thursday to play Pembina, followed by a home game on Saturday at 5:00 pm vs. Miller. Basketball Our JV and Varsity teams saw their first game action this week. The Varsity Girls are off to a 1-1 start winning in Carman on Tuesday night 47-36 before losing at Prairie Mountain on Wednesday. The Varsity Boys started their season with an exhibition game win at Prairie Mountain Wednesday night. The Junior Varsity Boys travelled to Carman on Wednesday as well, putting up a great fight but eventually falling 70-52. The Junior Varsity Boys hosted a 6-team tournament this weekend. They got off to a slow start vs. RVS before defeating Steinbach Christian to finish second in their pool. They faced The King's School in the bronze medal game, keeping it close all game. Gabe Dyck hit a last-second buzzer beater, with the help of a Dylan Zarecki screen, to send it to overtime. Unfortunately, that was as close as the boys would get falling to the Knights 75-65. Wrestling Ten Maverick Wrestlers entered this past weekend's WAMMA NextGen Wrestling Tournament, held at the Dakota Community Centre Multiplex in Winnipeg. All Mavericks wrestled hard and learned a great deal. When the mats were rolled up, the Mavericks took home the following medals:
fishing club updateMavericks fishing club is picking up momentum after the winter break, as students prepare for ‘derby season!’ Students are currently learning and practicing how to quickly tie lures to fishing lines, the parts of a rod and reel, and how different lures attract different sizes & species of fish. Thanks to recent generous donations, the fishing club has small prizes to give away to members who complete ‘fishing challenges’ at each meeting! Important upcoming dates: Next meeting: Tuesday, January 14th- we will be fishing on the Red River after school! Thursday, January 30th (exam week) - the fishing club will spend the entire afternoon fishing on the Red River! Tuesday, March 11: MHSAA Provincial Ice Fishing Derby!! Note: students must attend at least 5 fishing club meetings prior to attending the provincial derby! If a grade 9-12 student is interested in joining the fishing club, they can join the Google Classroom with the following code: buu5xfb congratulations K-5 students and staff!Congratulations to all K-5 students on a wonderful Christmas Concert performance on December 19th. Your hard work and creativity made for a successful show. You should be proud of your performance! Thank you to the custodial and K-5 staff for their support in putting this show together. Thank you, Mrs. Kurylko and Mr. Lehmann, for sharing their gymnasium with the music program during the week leading up to the concert, as well as Mrs. Skoglund, Mrs. Legary, and Mrs. Whitely for their extra help in making this show happen. Thank you to the high school concert band who stepped up to assist in preparation and during the performances. We also appreciate our parents for their continued support and encouragement of music and the arts! We would be remiss if we didn't thank the person who works so hard with our students so that they can learn and then showcase their musical talents on a night like this. Ms. Colobong...we thank you! winter town bus starts on Monday (January 6)![]() The Division's Winter Town Bus service starts on Monday, January 6th, for those who have previously registered. A reminder of the pickup times in the morning. If you are late for your pickup times, there's no guarantee you'll receive a ride, so please be on time (or early). The projected times are as follows... Joe Hache - Bus #56 Stop 1: 8:45 - Corner of Southwood & Agassiz Stop 2: 8:47 - Corner of Willow Dr & Ash Blvd Stop 3: 8:48 - S.W. corner of Willow Dr & Veteran Way Stop 4: 8:49 - Corner of Southwood Rd & Cells Mobile Village Shanna Berard - Bus #45 Stop 5: 8:40 - Corner of Mary St & Boyne Stop 6: 8:41 - Corner of Mary St & Mulvey Stop 7: 8:43 - Corner of Lucinda St & Kennedy St W Stop 8: 8:45 - Corner of Lucinda St & Charles Ave Stop 9: 8:47 - Corner of Lucinda St & Toronto Ave W (Baptist Church) grade 9-12 students - get ready for exams!We know...we know...interrupt a great break with the news of the upcoming exam sessions. We apologize, but the reality is soon to become a reality. Exams begin the first week back with the Provincial Grade 12 ELA exam and continue throughout January. Please keep track of your dates, start to work on preparations, and do as well as you can with the time and resources you have. Seek advice from others, do the work to prepare, and do your best. That's all anyone can ask for. A heartfelt thank you, Morris Area Foundation!![]() As the principal of Morris School, it is my privilege to express our deepest gratitude to the Morris Area Foundation (MAF) and its donors for their remarkable generosity and unwavering commitment to our school and community. Over the past two years, MAF has extended extraordinary support, enabling us to undertake projects that significantly enhance the learning environment and community experience at Morris School. Transforming Our School, One Project at a TimeIn the 2023–2024 school year, MAF awarded us $5,000 to assist with the expansion and refurbishment of our senior years' kitchen. This crucial upgrade has provided our students with a modern, functional space to enjoy and contribute to our school's ability to provide nutritional breakfast, lunch, and snack programming, host events, and allow accessible access to our students to learn and contribute to our school —a vital life skill that enriches our experiences and fosters creativity. Their continued generosity this year with an additional $5,000 has ensured that this project could be completed to the highest standard. But the support didn’t stop there. This year, MAF granted us $1,500 to purchase materials for a truly unique initiative: building indoor bleachers for our school. Thanks to the exceptional skills of our welding students and the dedication of our head maintenance person, Mr. Les Dyck, we were able to transform these materials into four beautiful, functional bleachers. These were completed just in time to host the MHSAA ‘AA’ Varsity Boys Volleyball Championships in November. The bleachers received countless compliments from visitors, a testament to the hard work and talent of everyone involved. Building a More Inclusive FutureLooking ahead, MAF has once again stepped forward with two additional $5,000 awards. These funds will be directed toward the expansion of our playground, with a focus on making it more accessible for all children in our community. This project reflects our shared vision of creating a welcoming and inclusive space where every child can play, grow, and thrive. On December 10th, I had the privilege of presenting at MAF’s grant awards meeting to provide an update on these projects. Sharing the tangible impact of their generosity and seeing their continued dedication to our community was incredibly inspiring. A Vision for Community and GivingThe Morris Area Foundation’s mission is rooted in the belief that a strong community benefits everyone. Donations made to the Foundation are not simply spent; they are invested. The principal funds remain intact, while only the interest generated is used to support worthy projects and organizations in Morris and the surrounding areas. This model ensures that every donation has a lasting, perpetual impact, building a stronger future for generations to come. We encourage anyone who is able to contribute to the Morris Area Foundation. Your support will help sustain the incredible work they do and ensure the continued growth and vitality of our community. To the MAF board, donors, and everyone involved—thank you for making Morris School and our community better, stronger, and more connected. Together, we are building more than playgrounds, kitchens, and bleachers. We are building a brighter future. With gratitude, Mike Watson Principal, Morris School morris pac monthly meeting - january 8th![]() All parents and guardians are invited to our next meeting. We've had an enthusiastic start to the parent council rebirth and we are looking forward to continuing this positive momentum. Please consider attending. Future meeting dates include:
Attention D&D members![]() Attention, D&D club! A quick reminder that our new adventures are starting this Tuesday (Jan. 7th - Group #1) and Thursday (Jan. 9th - Group #2). The members of each group will be posted on Google Classroom on Monday. Welcome back from the holidays, and let’s keep the story going! Thank you, Sun Valley Co-op![]() On the last school day of 2024, Morris Robotics was delighted when Sun Valley Coop generously donated a second Milwaukee Packout to the program. This is excellent timing as, for the first time, Morris Robotics will be sending two teams to the USA to compete in January. You may have seen team Blue Bombur (wearing Blue), and now meet team Philip (wearing Gold). Both teams will be ready to build, revise, and fix their robots under pressure at the tournament. Thank you to Sun Valley Coop for their very kind support! mavericks athletics update![]() Basketball This week, the season gets underway for all our High School Teams. On Tuesday, the Varsity Girls and Boys travel to Summerset to play Prairie Mountain. The Girls are back in action again on Wednesday when they travel to Carman with the JV Boys. The JV Boys also host their home tournament this coming weekend. Their first game will be Friday at 11:00 a.m. vs. Shevchenko. Hockey A great Christmas Classic result (9-2 win) took the MAVs into the holiday break. They are back in action this Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in Morris against the Mountain Mustangs. They have a quick turnaround, playing again on Friday in Altona vs. the Aces at 8:00 p.m. Wrestling The MAVs' wrestling program wrestled in its first tournament of the year on the 21st of December in Niverville. A number of wrestlers had great results for their first action of the year. Maverick Wrestlers have a chance to compete in two tournaments this month. The first is the WAMMA Next Gen Tournament in Winnipeg (Dakota Fieldhouse) on January 11th. The next one is in Kenora (our first out-of-province tournament in wrestling program history) on the 18th. Good luck to all who choose to compete. Niverville results
consider contributing to the food drivek-5 christmas concert this week!It's almost here - the K-5 Winter Concert is happening in just a few days! The K-5 students have been working hard to prepare for their performance at Morris School's K-5 Christmas Concert, which will take place on Thursday, December 19th in the Senior Gymnasium. There are two performance options:
K-5 Mandatory Attendance: This is a friendly reminder that ALL K-5 students are expected to attend and participate in the K-5 Winter Concert. Costume/Attire: Please refer to the table below for costume and attire guidelines for each class. Anything with an asterisk (*) indicates an item that will be provided by the school. We understand that families may or may not own the items listed, and/or have already prepared their child's attire in advance. Therefore, we are flexible and encourage families to do what they can to meet these guidelines. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation! Practice at Home: I kindly ask that you continue to play your child’s class song at home whenever possible—whether in the car, during playtime, or as background music. Since I only see the students twice a cycle, it’s important for them to "internalize" and memorize the songs outside of class time. For Grade 5 actors, please practice your lines at home as you will not have your script with you on stage. Thank you so much for your ongoing support in making this winter concert a memorable experience for all of our students! If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected]. Attn: Senior Years students - semester 1 examsWe know...it's not even winter break yet! However, we need to ensure you are aware of your exam schedule so you can start planning your study schedule and ensure all assignments are in and your grades are as high as possible before you write the end-of-semester exams. Not all courses will administer an exam, so pay attention to the schedule and listen to your teacher regarding what the end of your semester will look like. ROBOTICS TEAM CONTINUE TO IMPROVEMorris Robotics participated in their second tournament in the USA on Saturday. The team finished fourth out of twenty-four teams in their main competition, though was knocked out in the quarterfinals by the eventual tournament champions. For the second tournament running, the team went home with a trophy, this time with the Design Award. The Design Award recognizes an organized and professional approach to the Engineering Design Process, project and time management, and team organization. The Design Award recognizes a team's ability to document and explain their Engineering Design Process via an Engineering Notebook and Team Interview. The team must be at or near the top of the Engineering Notebook Rubric rankings, and the Engineering Notebook demonstrates a clear, complete, and organized record of an iterative Engineering Design Process. Well done, team! roots of empathy at morris schoolMrs. Edel and Mrs. Johnston’s grade 3/4 classes had their first visits from their “teachers”, baby Everly and baby Luka. It was very exciting to finally meet the babies! We learned a lot about what the babies can do, and things they can’t do… yet. The students observed how Mrs. Charron and Ms. Yeats tended to the babies, making sure their needs were met. Here are a couple of pictures from the first family visit. MORRIS SCHOOL BAND STUDENTS GO CAROLLIN'Last Saturday morning, students from the Senior Concert Band volunteered their time to play Christmas carols at the "Breakfast With Santa" event held at the Morris Multiplex. The students did a great job spreading cheer. Well done, MAVs! mavericks athletic update![]() Hockey The Boys bounced back this week with wins over Prairie Mountain 6-1 and Carman 4-2. In their final week before the break, they head to GVC on Saturday (Puck drop at 7:30) and Carman on Wednesday (Puck drop at 7:30) before hosting W.C. Miller on Friday (Puck drop at 12:30) in this year's Christmas Classic. Basketball and Wrestling Basketball and Wrestling student-athletes continue to practice their skills as they prepare for their upcoming season. If there are still student-athletes considering joining either sport, please see Mrs. Kurylko or Mr. Watson and they can point you in the right direction. a note...where athletic dept fundraiser $ goesThank you to those who have contributed to any fundraiser deemed, "Maverick Athletic Department." To ensure complete transparency, we want everyone to know where your financial contributions go. The funds raised for the Morris School Athletic Department go towards:
congratulations bosco!After just one year of strongman training, Bosco Penner has already achieved an impressive milestone. Competing in the U13-15 category at the Official Strongman Games (OSG), he secured second place, earning the title of the second strongest 13 to 15-year-old in the world. The OSG event featured a series of gruelling challenges, including the log lift, deadlift, sandbag carry, and other strength-based tests. Bosco excelled in these events, showcasing his power and technique against some of the top young athletes in the sport. Notably, he outperformed America's strongest teen, who finished in third place. With this achievement, Bosco is now recognized as one of the best in his age group globally. His success is a testament to his hard work and determination, and we can’t wait to see where his strongman career takes him next! Grade 5/6M summarize novel creativelyOn Wednesday, students from 5/6 Moore presented their diorama projects based on the shared novel Island of the Blue Dolphins. They demonstrate an excellent understanding of novel events and creativity in representing story scenes. Good work! outdoor Ed. UpdateThe Outdoor Ed. Students braved the elements on cold, windy days last week to build their Quinzee shelters. Equipped with only a shovel and the snow provided by nature, students had 5 hours to build a quinzee that could shelter 2 people! fishing club updateNow that winter has really arrived and cold temperatures give way to ice fishing season, the fishing club will be holding regular meetings. All grade 9-12 students are welcome to join if this interests them! The next meeting is Tuesday, December 17, after school (be prepared to go outside!!) RAFFLE TICKETS WILL BE FOR SALE AT THE SCHOOL DURING THE DECEMBER 19 CHRISTMAS CONCERT! The week that was...the legislature is calling you!We received a letter from the Province of Manitoba. They are looking for Pages to join their team. They suggest... "For many decades, the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba has enlisted Manitoba High School students to serve as Legislative Pages. Pages work in the Assembly Chamber and Committees with Members and Officers of the Assembly. Our Program provides students who are cultivating an interest in government and politics with a unique opportunity to see first-hand how public policy is developed and determined in Manitoba. Pages provide valuable services to Members and Officers of the Assembly and are an important part of the team that ensures the efficient operation of the House and Committees. Both nominees and their parents must be made aware of the duties and time commitment involved, particularly if travel time and related expenses are to be incurred. In making your nomination, please bear in mind that Legislative Pages will miss some class time due to the sitting hours of the Legislature and Committees. Two or three Pages are required in the Assembly each sitting day. By rotating their working days, absences from school are kept to a minimum. Some evening work in Committees will also be required. On average, each Page works about 15 hours over a two-week period when the House is in session (usually October-December and March-June). There will also be some Committee work between and during Sessions. Legislative Pages carry out a variety of duties for Members and Officers of the Assembly including: ▪ announcing names of MLAs during recorded votes; ▪ delivering documents and messages; ▪ photocopying documents; ▪ delivering water and coffee; and ▪ other duties as required. The hourly wage for the position is $16.84 and each Page is supplied with a uniform to be worn in the Chamber and in Committees. Fifteen school divisions are being asked to nominate candidates. These nominees will be interviewed in the early spring by an interview panel including the Sergeant-at-Arms, Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms and a Human Resources Officer. Following the interviews, 9 of these candidates will be appointed as Legislative Pages. This year training will be conducted during the week of August 25th, 2025, before the commencement of the Fall Session. Pages are generally employed from the training period until the following June. Tim Hortons' smile cookie campaign winnersWe have tabulated all the cookies sold, monetary donations, volunteer hours, and artistic talents and we are pleased to announce the following winners of the incentives announced at the beginning of the fundraising campaign. In the end, our school raised Homeroom Challenge Winners 1st place: Mr. Moore - $200 2nd place: Ms. Epler - $150 3rd place: Mrs. C. Edel - $100 Lunch with the Principal Week 3 K-8 Lunch with the principal: Week 3 9-12 Lunch with the principal: Erin Hamblin Week 4 K-8 Lunch with the principal: Asher Hoffman Week 4 9-12 Lunch with the principal: Tessa Legary Principal for the Day K-8 Principal for the Day: Asher Hoffman 9-12 Principal for the Day: Erin Hamblin In the end, due to the generosity of our community, we earned $6,098.25 for our playground project through cookie sales (the Tim Hortons Foundation also earned the same amount). We also earned almost the same amount through monetary donations. In all, we raised approximately $12,000 towards our project. It's a great start to making our new accessible playground a reality. Thank you, Tim Hortons and Thank you, Morris! help us with our annual christmas food drive![]() Please plan to attend our next Morris School Parent Council Meeting. It will be held on Wednesday, December 11th, at 6:30 in the Morris School Band Room/Theatre. Please read the following note from our newly elected Morris School Parent Council Chairperson... I’m excited to introduce myself as the new Chair of the PAC! As we look ahead to the upcoming school year, I’m eager to work together to support our school and create a strong, engaged community. Our first meeting will be held on December 11th, and I look forward to meeting many of you there to discuss ideas and plans for the rest of the year ahead. Let’s continue to make this a great year for our school, and I hope to see you at the meeting! Warm regards, Arien Peterson Chair, PAC access credit union and nic demski visitThis past Tuesday, the Access Credit Union and Nic Demski (Winnipeg Blue Bombers) honoured us by stopping by for a financial literacy presentation to our Grades 7/8 students. The Access Credit Union and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are teaming up through their partnership to combine expertise in support of community initiatives focused on youth and financial literacy. The Club will partner with Access’ Financial Literacy Trainers to host special events and visit schools within the community to promote financial literacy. The Financial Literacy program at Access Credit Union began in 2017 and provides the tools and resources to give employees, members, and the community the knowledge and skills they need to achieve financial success. The goal is to help increase financial knowledge and prepare for life’s biggest events. Each workshop is led by a certified Financial Literacy trainer. Learn more about the Access Credit Union Financial Literacy program. Morris School was one of only three across Manitoba to have the opportunity to experience the first “Tackle your finances like a pro” workshop, delivered by the Access Financial Literacy team, along with a Winnipeg Blue Bombers player (Nic Demski). Students took part in a 60-minute fun and interactive workshop where they will learn practical money management skills and tips, ask questions and interact with a Bombers player, all while learning about financial literacy. grades 6-12 concert band & choir shineCongratulations to the Grades 6-12 Concert and Jazz Bands as well as our school's choir for their excellent performances at our recent winter concert. You should all be proud of your performances but, more importantly, the work that went into preparing for the evening. Thanks to Ms. Colobong and Ms. Wray for their work with our talented students. K-5 WINTER CONCERT ON DECEMBER 19THThe K-5 Winter Concert is just two weeks away! The K-5 students have been working hard to prepare for their performance at Morris School's K-5 Christmas Concert, which will take place on Thursday, December 19th in the Senior Gymnasium. There are two performance options:
K-5 Mandatory Attendance: This is a friendly reminder that ALL K-5 students are expected to attend and participate in the K-5 Winter Concert. Costume/Attire: Please refer to the table below for specific costume and attire guidelines for each class. Anything with an asterisk (*) indicates an item that will be provided by the school. Practice at Home: I kindly ask that you continue to play your child’s class song at home whenever possible—whether in the car, during playtime, or as background music. Since I only see the students twice a cycle, it’s important for them to "internalize" and memorize the songs outside of class time. For Grade 5 actors, please practice your lines at home as you will not have your script with you on stage. Thank you so much for your ongoing support in making this winter concert a memorable experience for all of our students! If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at [email protected]. RETURN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS If you borrowed or were lent a musical instrument (such as a cowbell, egg shaker, maraca, bells, etc.) for the 2024 Provincial Volleyball Championships held last weekend (November 27-29), we kindly ask that you return the instruments to the Music Room as soon as possible as several items are still missing. Your prompt return is greatly appreciated. Thank you! 5/6M has a visitorOn Monday, Mr. Mathew Norris, the Manager of Morris General Hospital, joined Mr. Moore's class to teach them about the nursing profession and healthy living. The students have been studying Body Systems in November, so this was a valuable opportunity to broaden their understanding. Students had brainstormed a long list of questions which Mr. Norris graciously answered. Also, he explained various aspects of his job, talked about the importance of healthy habits and told a few stories which kept the students very engaged. We thank Mr. Norris for taking time out of his busy schedule to enthusiastically share with the 5/6 class! mavericks athletics update![]() Basketball Practice Schedule Monday: 7/8 Girls @ 3:30 Tuesday: JV Boys @ 3:30, V Boys @ 5:30 Wednesday: Varsity Girls @ 3:30 Thursday: JV Boys @ 3:30, V Boys @ 5:30 Friday: Varsity Girls 3:30 Hockey The MAVs had a busy week with road games in Morden and Treherne this week. Unfortunately, they came away with two losses. They hope to rebound this week and will have lots of opportunities with 3 more games on the schedule. On Wednesday, they travel to Swan Lake to play Prairie Mountain (Puck drop at 7:30pm), then immediately head to Carman on Thursday (Puck drop at 4:15pm). They finish off the week on Saturday in Winkler to play Garden Valley (Puck drop at 7:30pm). Last weekend, the Red River Wild U11 Female Hockey Team won Silver at the Miami tournament! Congratulations to Violet C, Piper P, Sally-Anne T, Codie R, Kaydence E, Zoe B, & Jillian H. Wrestling Wrestling has started for any Grades 1-12 student who wants to be part of this experience. We practice at lunch (Mondays for Grades 1/2; Wednesdays for 3/4s; Fridays for 5/6s) with the Mini MAVs, 3:30-4:15 on MWF with the Jr. MAVs and 4:15-5:30 on MWF with the Sr. MAVs. Our first tournament is on Saturday, December 21st in Niverville. Volleyball Congratulations to Mr. Cox for being named the MHSAA AA Volleyball Coach OF. THE. YEAR today! We already knew that Mr. C was the man, but now he’s the man, the myth, and the legend! Mr. Cox was allowed to coach Georson, Nic, and Tanner one more time at their graduating all-star game at the U of W on Saturday! They were previously named to the AA Graduating All-Star team! Way to Go, MAVs! Rugby Congratulations to Owen Lewis, Morris Mavericks alumni, for being named to MacDowell Rugby Academy’s Traveling Team! Owen will be heading to New Zealand and Australia for the Global 7s tournament. Owen has been an excellent player for them all season and continues to be an amazing ambassador for our Morris Mavericks rugby program and school. Good luck Owen! a deal on school photosrobotics fundraising lunch a successOn Friday the Morris Robotics team served pizza, chips, and drinks to students in grades K-12. 5/6P even had their meals delivered via robot parade! The robots are bigger than last year, and the team is continuing to raise money for new parts, and for tournaments in the USA. Thanks to Bigway Foods, and all students and their families who supported this fundraiser! blue bomber meets blue bomburThe Morris Advanced Robotics team had a chance to meet Nic Demski, hometown hero and star slotback for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. It's a great fit, as the robot's name is Blue Bombur (named after a brave dwarf in The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien). Let's see if Blue Bombur is as good at putting points on the board as the Blue Bombers were this season at their next tournament in Grand Forks, ND! smell and taste?The grade 12 psychology class did a taste and smell experiment for their Senses and Perception unit. They learned that it is much easier to identify different starburst flavours when you can use both your taste and smell! thank you, morris school![]() The Provincials Organizing Committee would like to thank all the staff, volunteers, and sponsors who made the event an amazing experience for athletes this past weekend. Many compliments were given to the planning and execution of such a big event. Its success is due to the support of our amazing community and the hard work put in by all of the volunteers. This past weekend, our Varsity Boys competed in the AA Boys Volleyball Provincials. They started off on fire in round-robin play, defeating Margaret Barbour (24-25, 25-17, 15-8) and Warren (25-21, 25-9) on Thursday, followed by wins against MacGregor (25-23, 20-25, 15-10) and Immanuel Christian (23-25, 25-14, 25-13) on Friday. This had them sitting in the favourable first-place position in their pool. On Saturday, they came out firing again and defeated William Morton in straight sets (25-23, 25-22) to advance to the semi-final against Immanuel Christian. Playing one of their best games yet, they defeated the Falcons in straight sets (25-21, 25-14) to advance to the Provincial Final against Rosenort. The boys got off to a slow start, losing the first set, but stormed back to take the second set 25-22. Unfortunately, they couldn't get past the Redhawks in the deciding 3rd set. They may not have come away with the result they wanted, but we could not be more proud of such a hard-working group of boys! We are proud of our Mavericks! The boys and their coaches also wanted to communicate the following... The Morris/St. Jean Mavericks had an unforgettable weekend of volleyball—an experience filled with excitement, pride, inspiration, and every emotion in between. Hosting the AA Varsity Boys Volleyball Provincials on our home court was an incredible honour. Playing in front of our families, friends, schools and the unwavering support of our communities is a memory we’ll cherish for years to come. Over three intense days, we poured our hearts into every match, playing as a united team. Heading into the championship final undefeated was a testament to our hard work and determination. While the final match didn’t end in a win, we walked away victorious in so many other ways. Through their character, team spirit, and kindness both on and off the court, these Mavericks reignited school pride and inspired future generations of volleyball players. For Mr. Cox and me, saying we’re proud of this team feels like an understatement. As a team, we are deeply grateful to the Morris and St. Jean school communities for rallying around us:
With heartfelt gratitude, Morris/St. Jean Mavericks Boys Volleyball Team 2024/2025 Marshall Cox & Shannon Leflar thank you, Gold sponsors!thank you, silver and bronze sponsorsregister for the winter town bus![]() We will run two routes for the winter town bus starting Monday, January 6. Please register by using the Google Form we set up. You can access the link [HERE]. Please register by Wednesday, December 11, 2024. next parent council meeting - December 11![]() Please save the date for the next Morris School Parent Council Meeting. It will be held on Wednesday, December 11th, at 6:30 in the Morris School Band Room/Theatre. If you have questions for the principal to answer at the meeting, email the questions to Mike Watson ([email protected]) before Friday, December 6th. Please read the following note from our newly elected Morris School Parent Council Chairperson... I’m excited to introduce myself as the new Chair of the PAC! As we look ahead to the upcoming school year, I’m eager to work together to support our school and create a strong, engaged community. Our first meeting will be held on December 11th, and I look forward to meeting many of you there to discuss ideas and plans for the rest of the year ahead. Let’s continue to make this a great year for our school, and I hope to see you at the meeting! Warm regards, Arien Peterson Chair, PAC WINTER BAND & CHORAL CONCERT - December 3This is a reminder that our Winter Band & Choral Concert will be happening in just a couple of days on Tuesday, December 3rd, at 7:00 PM in the Senior Gymnasium at Morris School! Our students are eager to showcase the progress they've made this year and have been working diligently to prepare! The show will feature all grade 6-12 Band and choral students and will include a beautiful display of artwork from Mrs. Wray’s art students. A silver collection will also be held at the door in support of the 6-12 Band Program! For the concert, students are asked to dress in all-black attire (formal if possible) – black pants or skirt, shirt, shoes, socks, etc. Students should arrive in their full uniform by 6:30 PM in the Band Room for warm-up. Attendance for all grades 6-12 Band students is mandatory. As always, if you have any questions, please contact the Music/Band teacher, Faith Colobong, at [email protected]. Thank you for your support of our hardworking Music/Band students! Additionally, don’t miss our second performance - a K-5 Winter show - Survival Santa: The Musical, produced by our Grade 5 leaders, featuring all K-5 students. This show will take place on Thursday, December 19th at 6:30 PM in the Senior Gymnasium, with an open dress rehearsal at 1:00 PM that afternoon. More details to come! We look forward to seeing you there! this town is full of community helpers!This week, the grade 1/2's had another two community helpers visit their classrooms! Rempel Insurance talked about how their job is to protect all the things that we love, such as homes and cars. They also taught us about how celebrating our community is super important and something we all need to do! Constable Gilles also visited and spoke about how the police (RCMP) play an important role in our community. He taught the students about when you need to call 911 and what police officers do. Thank you, community helpers! Grade 5/6s study weather![]() Our 5/6 classes welcomed local weather celebrity Justin Oertel from the Weather Center of Manitoba this past Wednesday via Zoom. Justin shared his extensive weather knowledge, taught us how he predicts weather systems and shared some of his storm-chasing experiences with the classes. He also answered some super questions from the group and showed us some storm pictures. Thanks for joining us, Justin!! Well done, 5/6s!!!! The zoo in November? 5/6s say, "YES!!'Low temperatures were no match for the excitement of the Grade 5/6's on their field trip to the Zoo. Students saw a variety of animals and learned some Indigenous language words for animals that connect to the Seven Sacred Teachings. They even got to meet a box turtle animal ambassador! Other highlights included a tobacco offering to Turtle Island, eating lunch in Gateway to the Arctic with the seals, and squeezing 60 kids with 60 backpacks into one bus. Thanks to everyone who supported our bake sale to make this field trip accessible for every student! grade 7/8s travel to the moose gameLast week, our Grade 7/8 classes travelled to Canada Life Centre for the Manitoba Moose Project 11 Game. The students participated in games on the jumbotron, dance parties, starting the wave and snacks! Students were also shown video messages and infographics about the importance of their mental wellness. Thank you again to our parent volunteers who joined us and everyone who supported us in fundraising for our great day! robotics team in the news!Our Robotics team hit the paper! Check out the link...https://altonavoice.ca/#page=12 Way to Go, MAVs! mavericks athletic update![]() Basketball High School Boys' Basketball practice is on Monday, December 2 and Thursday, December 5, after school. Varsity Girls' will practice on Wednesday, December 4, right after school. Wrestling For all students interested in participating in the wrestling program, Mr. Watson has distributed some information and parent letters this week to our students, but maybe not all interested students, so let's give another preview of how we run our wrestling program. We have three groups of wrestlers:
Mini Mavs are grades 1-6 students who are in it to play some games and have some fun at lunch once a week (schedule below). Junior Mavs are also grades 1-6 students who want to spend more time dedicating themselves to learning the technique, rules, and culture of the sport with the possible goal of competing at tournaments (not a necessity to be a Junior Mav). Students from grades 1-6 can be a Mini Mav AND a Junior Mav. Senior Mavs are grades 7-12 students who also want to learn the sport, learn & improve their technique, and possibly compete against other wrestlers in the province. Our first practice day will be Monday, December 2. Mini Mavs (Fun & Games at lunch) 1/2 Mondays during Lunch Recess 3/4 Wednesdays during Lunch Recess 5/6 Fridays during Lunch Recess Junior Mav's for K-6 (full practices with technique and the possibility of participating in tournaments) Monday, Wednesday, & Friday from 3:30 - 4:15 pm for all K-6's Senior Mav's for 7-12 Students (Varsity Team) Monday, Wednesday, & Friday from 4:15 - 5:30 pm Robotics club hosts a pizza lunch fundraiserThe robotics team is launching a lunchtime fundraiser thanks to Bigway Foods. On Friday, December 6, for only $5, students can get pizza, chips, and a drink, but that's not all! The K-6 class that buys the most will get their food delivered by a robot. And this year, the robots will be even bigger and more complicated! Payment can be made using SchoolCash Online on the school website. Orders must be in and paid for by Tuesday, December 3. Thanks for the support! POINSETTIA FUNDRAISER PICK-UP![]() For all K-12 families that participated in the Poinsettia Music/Band Fundraiser, pick up is this Monday, December 2nd from 3:30-5:30 pm at the south bus loop/theatre doors. Sellers are responsible for picking up the orders for their customers unless you have made other arrangements. As these are very time-sensitive plants, please make sure to have your orders picked up on Monday, or contact [email protected] to make other arrangements ASAP. thank you for your support!As the proud principal of Morris School, I want to extend my sincerest gratitude to everyone who contributed to making our recent Tim Horton's Holiday Smile Cookie Fundraising Campaign a tremendous success. First and foremost, a huge thank you to Mrs. Legary, Mrs. Whitely, Mrs. Harrison, and the entire Playground Committee for their tireless efforts and dedication to this initiative. Your hard work, alongside the support of our amazing staff, has been instrumental in bringing this campaign to life. To our incredible students, staff, and parents—you’ve truly gone above and beyond! From selling cookies and collecting donations to decorating and delivering them with care, your enthusiasm and efforts have been inspiring. You’ve shown what a difference teamwork and a generous spirit can make. We are currently tabulating the final sales and donations, and we can’t wait to announce the classroom and individual winners in next week’s blog post. Stay tuned for the exciting results! Thank you once again to everyone for your support and participation. Together, we’re building a brighter future for Morris School. robotics team hits international tournament!The Advanced Robotics team participated in their first tournament just outside of Grand Forks in the USA on Saturday. Cody, Josh, Kayden, and Andrew have spent many months building and revising their robot named "Blue Bombur" to be ready for the games. With 34 robots competing in the competition, the team was knocked out of the playoffs in the round of 16. In addition, the students received the Judges' Award as they:
community leaders continue to visit our 1/2sThis week the grade 1/2 classes continued to learn about community helpers. They had two more members from our community come in to teach them about the importance of their roles. They had Diane from the Valley Regional Library and Scott Crick who is the Mayor of Morris. Thank you to both Diane and Scott for all you do in our community! Consider wrestling for the mavericks![]() For all those students interested in participating in the wrestling program, Mr. Watson will be distributing information and parent letters this week. To review how we run our wrestling program, we'll give a bit of a preview. We have three groups of wrestlers:
Mini Mavs are grades 1-6 students who are in it to play some games and have some fun at lunch once a week (schedule below). Junior Mavs are also grades 1-6 students who want to spend more time dedicating themselves to learning the technique, rules, and culture of the sport with the possible goal of competing at tournaments (not a necessity to be a Junior Mav). Students from grades 1-6 can be a Mini Mav AND a Junior Mav. Senior Mavs are grades 7-12 students who also want to learn the sport, learn & improve their technique, and possibly compete against other wrestlers in the province. Our first practice day will be Monday, December 2. Mini Mavs (Fun & Games at lunch) 1/2 Mondays during Lunch Recess 3/4 Wednesdays during Lunch Recess 5/6 Fridays during Lunch Recess Junior Mav's for K-6 (full practices with technique and the possibility of participating in tournaments) Monday, Wednesday, & Friday from 3:30 - 4:15 pm for all K-6's Senior Mav's for 7-12 Students (Varsity Team) Monday, Wednesday, & Friday from 4:15 - 5:30 pm HONOUR BAND APPLICATIONS DUE NOVember 29Attention Grade 7-12 Concert Band Students... On Friday, April 11 to Saturday, April 12, 2025, the Central Region Honour Band will be taking place at Portage Collegiate Institute. This fantastic event gathers band students from all over central Manitoba for a fun-filled two days of music-making. In only two days, students will go from rehearsing together for the very first time to performing on stage! Two bands will be featured: the Central Region Junior Honour Band (grades 7-8) and the Central Region Senior Honour Band (grades 9-12). Students will have the privilege of working with two remarkable Manitoban conductors during this event! Due to the nature of this event, please note that students may occasionally be required to spend extra time practicing at home and during school hours, including lunch (and as a last resort: after school). Students will gain a vast amount of musical knowledge, make friends, advance as musicians, and have lots of fun at Honour Band. It’s a great experience for students to take part in, and I hope many of our students can attend! Participation numbers for this event are limited, meaning only a handful of students from each school will be offered an invitation to participate. If you are interested in participating in the Central Honour Band and can commit to attending the event for the full duration of both days, please submit the bottom portion of the letter students would have received in class, with a $40 application fee (cash). The fee includes Saturday lunch and a Central Honour Band shirt. If you apply but are not accepted, your fee will be returned in full. Once you have been accepted into the band, application fees are non-refundable. Please come see Miss Colobong for another copy, or, feel free to reprint the form at home, from this link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GangSZkDI8zoLaTOpIx8NPIDyyh--GFASNHnYPcEpCg/edit?usp=sharing two winter concerts: save the datesThis is a reminder about the upcoming Winter Band & Choral Concert on Tuesday, December 3rd, at 7:00 PM in the Senior Gymnasium at Morris School. Our students are eager to showcase the progress they've made this year and have been working diligently to prepare! The show will feature all grade 6-12 Band and choral students and will include a beautiful display of artwork from Mrs. Wray’s art students. A silver collection will also be held at the door to support the 6-12 Band Program! For the concert, students are asked to dress in all-black attire (formal if possible) – black pants or skirt, shirt, shoes, socks, etc. Students should arrive in their full uniform by 6:30 PM in the Band Room for warm-up. Attendance for all grades 6-12 Band students is mandatory. outdoor ed students finding their way!The Outdoor Education students are learning how to efficiently use Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) topographical maps. These maps are an excellent way to navigate when you are 'off the grid' and out in the untouched natural wilderness (canoe trips, hiking trips, etc.) The students also got the chance to meet with Cookem Daisy and learn all about different edible plants around the area, which led to them learning how to pick rosehip berries. High school students dance!robotics pizza fundraiserThe robotics team is launching a lunchtime fundraiser thanks to Bigway Foods. On Friday December 6, for only $5, students can get pizza, chips, and a drink, but that's not all! The K-6 class that buys the most will get there food delivered by robot. And this year, the robots will be even bigger and more complicated! Payment can be made using SchoolCash Online on the school website. Orders must be in and paid for by Tuesday December 3. Thanks for the support! book your parent-teacher conferenceGrades 9-12 report cards are available via the PowerSchool App. K-8 report cards should be available by the end of the day on Monday, November 18. The first round of parent-teacher conferences is scheduled for Thursday, November 21st (4 - 8 p.m.) and Friday, November 22nd (9 a.m. - Noon). Connecting with Teachers:
keep selling those cookies!![]() Congratulations to Maddox P and Landon H for being the top selling 9-12 students in the first week. We also want to congratulation Colton H, Bradley W, and Rowan H for being top sellers in Week 2. Lunches with the principal, like the one below with Natalie W will happen this upcoming week. We continue to appreciate those staff and students who are out there selling Holiday Smile Cookies. Your efforts are earning money for our playground project, but more importantly, bringing awareness to the project and showing your school spirit. To us as a school, that is the most important thing. For those students who are hesitant to sell, it starts by asking one person. If that is a 'no' from that person, don't give up. It may take a few 'no's' before you get a 'yes!' Parents...we encourage you to assist in any way you feel is possible. For a student to grow, they need to step out of their comfort zone. Selling could be one of these uncomfortable zones. Orders will be taken until Wednesday, November 20th. Final tallies for Grade Wars and the K-8 Homeroom challenge will be tabulated and announced in our next blog post. Cookies have started to be decorated and distribution will start tomorrow. Grades 9-12s as well as staff and parents are welcome to join the decorating and delivering parties that will take place all week. Contact Crystal Legary at the school if you'd like to join. Thank you to all who have participated in some way. We appreciate you! BAND STUDENTS GET PEPPY AT TWISTERS GAMELast Sunday, November 10th, students from the Morris School Band program volunteered as the pep band for the Pembina Valley Twisters Remembrance Day home game. A huge shoutout to these dedicated students, who not only had two back-to-back weekend performances, but, without hesitation, eagerly stepped up to serve their community once again. During the pre-game ceremony, the stadium took a moment to honour the brave individuals who have served, and continue to serve, our country. Morris School Band/Choir student, Sophie Moore, then delivered a poignant performance of our national anthem, O Canada, right before the puck drop. Once the game started, the band played a lively mix of fan-favourite anthems, including "Seven Nation Army," "Sweet Caroline," "We Will Rock You," "Celebrate," "Eye of the Tiger," "Iron Man," along with classic cheers--filling the arena with excitement and rallying behind the amazing plays of our very own Twisters. It was a fantastic experience for these fine musicians! TWO WINTER CONCERTS: SAVE THE DATEs This is a reminder about the upcoming Winter Band & Choral Concert on Tuesday, December 3rd, at 7:00 PM in the Senior Gymnasium at Morris School. Our students are eager to showcase the progress they've made this year and have been working diligently to prepare! The show will feature all grade 6-12 Band and choral students, and will include a beautiful display of artwork from Mrs. Wray’s art students. A silver collection will also be held at the door in support of the 6-12 Band Program! For the concert, students are asked to dress in all black attire (formal if possible) – black pants or skirt, shirt, shoes, socks, etc. Students should arrive in their full uniform by 6:30 PM in the Band Room for warm-up. Attendance for all grades 6-12 Band students is mandatory. Additionally, don’t miss our second performance - a K-5 Winter show - Survival Santa: The Musical, produced by our Grade 5 leaders, featuring all K-5 students. This show will take place on Thursday, December 19th at 6:30 PM in the Senior Gymnasium, with an open dress rehearsal at 1:00 PM that afternoon. More details to come! We look forward to seeing you there! ***Please note that there has been a typo in the date for the K-5 Winter show in previous announcements. Thursday, December 19th is the FINAL, accurate date.*** outdoor classroom revamped!The outdoor classroom has received some updates! The outdoor classroom has been around for over 10 years and it was in need of some repairs. Morris School was granted the ChariTree Foundation Grant for $5000. With this grant we were able to fix the broken/missing bricks, pull up the old edging, plant two trees, replace shrubbery and add new river stone. Special thanks to Xtraordinaire Landscapes in helping us make this job a reality. We look forward to watching classrooms continue to use the space to its fullest potential. photo retake day this week - nov 21st![]() Our school photography vendor will be back on the 21st of November to retake any school photos people wish to have. Please sign up in the office or email [email protected] to add your child to the list. Retakes will take place in the morning only. mavericks athletics update![]() Hockey This weekend the Mavs competed in the SRSS Sabres Invitational. They beat Fort Frances 4-3 to finish in 5th place. This week they head to Carman on Wednesday to play the Cougars at 7:30 before hosting Mountain on Friday here in Morris (gametime 7:30). Volleyball Gr 7/8: Our Junior High athletes had their final league games this past week as they hosted Rosenort. They head into their last week of the season and their League Playoff Day on Wednesday. Good Luck Mavs! Junior Varsity: Both teams competed in their Zone Tournaments this past week. The Boys finished 4th in their pool with a victory over RVS, but fell in straight sets to Dufferin Christian to end their day. The Girls finished 6th in their pool before defeating Shevchenko to move up to 5th for the day. Varsity: The Boys continue to prepare for provincials with some exhibition play. They traveled to Iles Des Chenes last week to play Gab Roy and will head to Winkler this week for an exhibition match against GVC. Stay tuned to the blog and instagram for more information on when our Boys will play on Provincials weekend. winter town bus begins Monday, January 6![]() We will be running two routes for the winter town bus starting Monday, January 6. Please register by using the Google Form we set up. You can access the link [HERE]. Please register by Wednesday, December 11, 2024. 5/6K Check Out Morris Museum Ms. Kulbaba's Grade 5/6 class headed over to the Morris Museum on Friday to learn about the Morris of the past. They got to learn about historical holiday decorations and try their hand at making some of their own - because what else would a family of 14 living on a homestead in the early 20th century do? Students particularly enjoyed exploring the old-fashioned classroom and eating some fresh-baked treats. Thank you for hosting us Morris Museum! New Buffalo Education GatheringEight of our students had the opportunity to attend the New Buffalo Education Gathering at the University of Manitoba on Friday. This one-day event is an Open House for rural and northern Indigenous students. The day included a student panel, a scholar's room, seminars on paying for school and relocating to Winnipeg, and campus tours. outdoor ed. shelter buildingThe Outdoor Ed. students continue to master their bushcraft skills. Using only one tarp, five feet of rope, and anything the bush provides, they were challenged to build a shelter that would block the wind, cover them from rain & snow, and be able to fit at least two people. The results were quite impressive, especially considering that they only had 45 minutes to construct them ! indigenous art club starting soon!Mr. Berezowski and Mrs. Chalmers are planning to start an Indigenous Arts Club soon. It will run after school on Wednesdays from 3:20 to 5:00 p.m. The first session will be on Wednesday, December 4 and will run until spring break. The club is open to any student in grades 7-12 and the meetings will be held in the home economics room. What this club entails is the crafting of Indigenous items using both traditional methods and modern-day tools. Some examples of projects could be creating bows & arrows from trees, tanning hides, birch bark projects, leather and beading projects. We will be starting with beading first and go from there. Some examples can be seen below. Students can contact Mr. Berezowski through his school email ([email protected]) if you have any questions. attention grade 11s & 12s...open house news![]() Discover Day at CMU - November 22 Half or full day - Tour, class visit, lunch, faculty conversations, info sessions - $80 application fee is waived for anyone who takes part - register at https://www.cmu.ca/admissions/experience/discover-days University of Winnipeg's Future Student Night - November 26 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. - Interactive displays, campus tours, and an opportunity to meet faculty, staff, and current students - Register at https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/future-student-night/ |
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