Our Grade 7-12 students start a new semester on Monday, February 2nd. All courses, except for Senior Years Concert Band and Senior Years Jazz Band will change for our Grades 9-12 students. Our Grade 7/8 students will start new electives on Monday as well. We wish all students and staff well as they start fresh with their new courses. 

Friday mornings just got a whole lot more fun! Every week, our K–2 students kick off the day with Game Time, where classrooms open up, and students play together.

You’ll find games like Bingo, matching games, Spot It and Candy Land filling our rooms with laughter. Students rotate through K–2 classrooms, meet new friends and staff, and even learn a new game or two along the way. The best part? The giggles, smiles, and the very serious question we hear every week: “When can we play again?” 

Why Board Games Matter (Yes, Even the Fun Ones!)
Playing board games at this age is more than just fun—it’s powerful learning in disguise!

Builds thinking skills
Games help students practice turn-taking, following directions, counting, matching, problem-solving, and early literacy skills—all while having fun.

Strengthens social skills
Game Time encourages conversation and cooperation.  Students learn how to win gracefully, try again after a loss and cheer each other on.

Builds friendships and community
By mixing K–2 students across classrooms, children make new connections, feel more comfortable with peers and staff, and grow their sense of belonging in our school community.

Friday Game Time is quickly becoming a favourite tradition—and for good reason. Learning, laughter, and friendships all rolled into one joyful start to the day!​

Grade 5–8 students enjoyed some friendly competition and dodgeball fun this past Friday in the Senior Years gym! Teams faced off in an exciting game of Swamp Ball, bringing lots of energy, teamwork, and laughs. A big shout-out to everyone who signed up, came prepared to have fun, and showed such a great attitude. 
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Stay tuned for our next big Middle Years event coming up in February!

Although the K-5 Christmas Concert had to be cancelled to due school closures and inclement weather, the students still wanted to show off all of their hard work! The grade 5 actors that are featured (and worked so hard memorizing all of their lines!) in this show are Landon Rivard, Tennessee Koop, Mila Berg, Piper Peters, and Skylar Bleznuk-Zary. Thank you to the staff that helped and supported our students in creating this show and (almost) making it happen. 

Cookies Through Time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ3tSe8XG58

The classes can be seen at the following timestamps:
Kindergarten Frogs: 1:23
Kindergarten Owls: 3:29
Grade 1/2 Siemens: 6:12
Grade 1/2 Curran: 9:14
Grade 3/4 Blanchette: 12:38
Grade 1/2 Roberge: 16:51
Grade 3/4 Edel: 21:05
All Grade 5's: 25:58
Grade 3/4 Johnston: 30:09
All K-5s: 34:22

D&D Club will have its next meeting on Thursday, Feb. 5th, at lunch in Mr. Antoski's room. This is for all D&D members in high school.

Mr Lehmann will be hosting a FISHING CLUB MEETING on Friday, February 6th, at noon, in the science lab. All high school students are welcome to attend. 

Rugby training camps for junior varsity and varsity start this week on Wednesday, Feb. 4th, in the Early Years' gym. Session will run from 3:45 - 5:15. Please bring your gym shoes, and let's get this pre-season underway!

Our MAVs women's varsity curling team travelled to Portage la Prairie this past Friday to compete in the Zone IV playdowns. After a tough first game, the team found their draw weight, and their curling legs to win two games in a row against teams from Roseau Valley School and Ecole St. Jean-Baptiste. That placed them in their fourth game in a row (that's right no breaks AT. ALL!), against a tough team from Morden. Despite their best efforts, the girls were eliminated from the bonspiel. Congratulations to Erin, Katie, Candice, and Krissy on their performance, and we thank them and the generosity of the Morris Curling Club and all of their volunteer coaches for helping Morris School bring back varsity curling. 

Our Grade 7/8 Basketball teams competed in their first games of the season this past week. Congrats to both teams for good starts to the season. Good luck the rest of the way.

Some exam logistics for our students who are writing (and not writing) exams this week...

• The exam schedule is below. Be sure to know your schedule and show up early and prepared.
• Exams run until Thursday, January 29. 
• Exams begin at 9 am sharp. You need to be in the classroom where you usually have class, or in another location that your teacher has indicated.
• There are no formal classes during the exam week. You are not to attend school UNLESS you have an exam, need to come into school to keep working on outstanding assignments, or need a quiet place to study. Coming to school during exam week to hang out is not acceptable. 
• You are not to ride the bus for social reasons. In other words, if you ride the bus and you don't have an exam or you're not working on your outstanding assignments or studying, riding the bus is prohibited. 
• You are only to use the library if you are going to be quiet while studying. If you can't study quietly, you can use the MPR or an open class with the advanced permission of that classroom teacher. 
• Friday, January 30th (am) is an opportunity for you to come in and review your exam or final project with your classroom teacher.
• To give our Grade 9–12 teachers time to prepare Semester 1 report cards, PowerSchool access will be temporarily locked starting late next week. We will notify all parents and guardians via email as soon as the reports are finalized and available for viewing.

Are you passionate about health, fitness, and making a difference in your community? The Morris Wellness Centre is offering a unique opportunity for students in Grades 10-12 to serve as a Youth Representative on its Board of Directors.

This newly created role is designed for students aged 16-18 who want to gain real-world experience in leadership, advocacy, and community engagement. As a Youth Representative, you’ll:

• Attend board meetings and share your perspective as a youth in the community.
• Advocate for healthy, active lifestyles among young people in Morris and the surrounding areas.
• Contribute ideas for programs and initiatives, including social media and marketing efforts.
• Be mentored by experienced board members who are leaders in the local community.

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The position runs from February to June 2026, with the possibility of extending into June and July, or even continuing into the next school year if it’s a good fit. Students can apply individually or in pairs.
This is a great chance to develop leadership skills, make your voice heard, and be part of a community-focused organization that promotes wellness for all ages.

Interested?
Applications can be submitted through this Google Form: https://forms.gle/zYMKaJTrSiRLi7iY6

For more information or questions, students can contact the Morris Wellness Centre at [email protected].
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Don’t miss this chance to gain experience, build your resume, and help make wellness a priority in your community!

Basketball
The crazy weather this week forced the postponement of our games in Rosenort on Monday. These will now be played on Feb 2. On Tuesday, the weather improved, and our Varsity Girls and Boys travelled to Prairie Mountain. Unfortunately, both teams ended up on the wrong side of the score. With more crazy weather, the Varsity Girls were forced to cancel their home tournament this weekend. 
This week, the JV and Varsity Boys travel to Carman on Thursday to face the Cougars. The Varsity Boys are back on the road on Friday when they travel to Gimli for a tournament. Our 7/8's see their first action of the season as the girls host Rosenort on Tuesday, and J.A. Cuddy comes to town on Wednesday to play our Girls and Boys.

Hockey
The Mavs were forced to postpone their games with W.C. Miller this week due to the weather. They travelled to Portage on Saturday night, where they defeated the Trojans 3-0. Next week they travel to Morden on Friday and Manitou on Saturday.

The Fountain Pen is proud to present the final instalment for the first semester! Students from all 4 classes have worked hard every week by exploring topics of their choice and developing their writing skills. As the semester comes to a close, we would like to extend positive energy to all students writing exams this week and all the best in Semester 2!

Grade 11 Canadian History - By Shooter Koop
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Thanadelthur was born in 1697 in northern Manitoba was an important peace negotiator, guide, teacher and interpreter. Known as the ambassador of peace, she helped broker peace between the Cree and Chipewyan people in the early fur trade days and helped establish ties between the Chipewyan people and the Hudson's Bay Company, expanding trade out west. She was captured in 1713, escaped, went to the Chipewyan people, was lost, and brought to a factory in New York. In 1717, she died.


Grade 10 ELA - By Martin Rojas
Hey hockey families, are you tired of getting holes in your gloves? Holes can get uncomfortable and can just ruin how you play. If you're tired of your gloves wearing out over time, I have just the solution for you. But first, you may ask about the causes of wear in the palm of the glove. Well, most players like to use tape or grip tape at the end of their hockey sticks to improve grip or feel the puck better. So, over time, the friction from the glove and tape will wear down your glove. Also, grip tape doesn't last. Grip tape will start to rip apart after only a week! You might think about removing the tape to fix the problem, but after battling snow and water from the ice, your stick would be super slippery. Now you know what causes wearing, now I'll tell you the different products that can prevent wearing, and could last for a long time. The first product for maximum grip and durability, is the “Vukgripz”. Vukgripz are very easy to install, you put it on just how you put on tape. The grip can battle through water, and can last for multiple seasons. The grip comes in maybe different colors. The special thing about vukgripz is that you can use it for almost any sports equipment, baseball bats, rackets, and of course hockey sticks. The next option I would recommend if you want an easy fast installation is “buttendz” Buttendz is a slip-on rubber grip that provides grip and durability. The easy installation makes it fast and easy for those that like stuff easily. Buttendz grips come in many different styles and colors. Styles being different knobs. After reading my blog I hope you pick up one of these products to save the lifetime of your gloves. I hope you learned something and enjoyed my blog, and I might not see you guys in a while, because this is my last blog of the semester! See ya!

Grade 9 ELA - BY Yzie Naje - Baguio City
Baguio City is a city in the Philippines, its elevation is 1,500 above the sea level which is why it's known for being the summer capital of the Philippines. It is known as the City of Pines because of its high elevation, and it has a bunch of strawberry farms. I was born in that city and grew up there until I was seven years old. Since 2024, it is estimated that there are 368,426 people living in the city. Baguio even has its own festival, called The Panagbenga Festival. It is held every year in February, the festival goes on for a whole month, this year it starts on the first of February and goes up until March 8th. The festival was created to highlight the city's flowers and cool temperature, and as a way to rise up from the devastation of the 1990 Luzon earthquake. The festival has a wide range of activities, from dancers dressed in lavish costumes that look like flowers to a painting competition and a float parade. I have plenty of fond memories from my time living in Baguio, although I won't say it doesn't have cons. Baguio has been reported to have some of the dirtiest air in the Philippines. In a 2018 WHO report, the city was listed as having the most polluted air among 8 other local cities which are Cebu, Dagupan, Davao, Manila, San Carlos, Urdaneta and Zamboanga. That is not Baguio's only problem either. Baguio's garbage and waste disposal is something of concern as well. However, as of 2019, the Philippine National Oil Company has offered to test a waste-to-energy technology as a possible solution to its garbage woes. As of 2026, there are no new updates.

Baguio City is always packed with tourists during the summer time, its higher altitude contributing to that factor. And as a result there have been many attractions specifically made for tourists. As a means to accommodate visitors, there are more than 80 hotels and inns available, as well as numerous transient houses set up by the locals. The most popular tourist spots in Baguio, according to the 2011 TripAdvisor Traveller's Choice Destinations Awards, are Burnham Park, Mines View Park, Wright Park, The Mansion, and Botanical Garden. As a child, I remember going to those places and spending time with my family there. Burnham Park is known for the man-made lake in the middle, where you can rent a boat and glide through the water with it. The Botanical Garden was filled with rows and rows of colourful flowers. Even with all the tourist spots, there were plenty of hidden gems within the bustling city. I distinctly remember finding small cafes around the corner, where my mother and I would eat desserts together. Or the small shops around the corner of our house where my cousins and I would buy snacks. Despite the flaws of Baguio City, I am still very fond of it. Some of my best childhood memories were made there. Even when I am miles away from that city, I still feel deeply connected to it and I hope to go back there for a visit soon.
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Spanish - By Achilles Funk 
We have all heard of wolves, but today we will be talking about the Iberian wolf, a subspecies of the grey wolf. The Iberian wolf is found in northern Portugal and Northwestern Spain. 

The Iberian wolf lives in various environments such as mountains, forests, shrub lands and grasslands. Iberian wolves live in small packs, and their diet consists of the following: wild boars, rabbits, roe deer, red deer, ibexes, small carnivores, fish, carrion and lizards. Iberian wolves are also considered endangered because of conflicts with agricultural and livestock activities. All and all, Iberian wolves are pretty cool and it really sucks how so many species nowadays are either endangered or extinct, but hey, at least we got a world full of red squirrels. 

Well amigos that’s it, hope you learned something and with that have a wonderful rest of your day.

According to educator Nichelle Frank of Utah State University, weekly writing promotes student confidence, lifelong learning and metacognition. The students featured in the Fountain Pen are working towards all of those benefits, all while exploring topics of their choice! This week's edition features Canada's involvement in Pearl Harbor, hot takes on cold sodas, a personal connection to the flood of 1997 and a summary of the Mexican holiday "Cinco de Mayo". 

Grade 11 Canadian History - By Hailey Bueckert - Canadian involvement in Pearl Harbour 
Canada began war in the Pacific on December 7th, 1941. Japanese aircraft had launched a surprise attack on an American naval base that was in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. The next day the United States, Britain, and Canada declared war on Japan. Germany and Italy had also declared war on the United States. Canada sent many troops to help in the war, and suffered many losses. Canadians had seized Japanese fishing boats as they feared that the Japanese would be aggressive on the West Coast. Canadians reinforced the West Coast with troops, guns, and installations to guard against any possible Japanese attacks.


Grade 10 ELA - By Alia Campbell
Good evening families, students, and staff. For this week's blog post I will be talking about the best sodas. I must say soda is not good for you and I don't drink it often, but when I do these are my favorites. First is Dr. Pepper. It may be a popular drink but that's for a reason. The unique taste is great and you can't find any other sodas like it. Next is Sprite. I love Sprite because I don't enjoy drinking soda and sprite makes me feel like I'm not. It doesn't give me the down feeling like other sodas do. It usually makes me feel gross but sprite is like drinking flavored sparkling water. Last but not least is the Tahitian Treat. This soda is very hard to find, yet the red fruit punch taste is amazing. I love fruit punch but carbonated fruit punch is even better. The sweet and tangy flavors are absolutely delicious and I would definitely recommend it. What's your favorite soda?


Grade 9 ELA - By Evolet Jablonski - 1997 Red River flood 
The 1997 Red River flood was the most severe flood in the Red River Valley since 1826, it affected many towns in our surrounding area, including Rosenrot, Lowe Farm, Emerson, Letellier, Grand Forks, and many more. The previous year, there was a very dry summer, heavy rainfall in autumn, and an unusually long and cold winter, during which there were four blizzards with heavy snow and wind. The rainfall and heavy snow created the possibility of flooding. Many people had to evacuate their homes.

My parents were 10 at the time of the flood, so they remember it and I asked them about their personal experiences during that trying time. They dealt with similar situations, both living in St Jean at the time. They both thought the flood was fun. 

My mom said she got to go rollerskating and her sister got a free toy. When everyone evacuated on April 22nd, my mom lived with her aunt in Winnipeg, was homeschooled for a bit but her aunt thought she was too annoying so she went to a new school for half a month. 

My dad, pictured below, marked a stick with lines and planted it in the ground to measure water levels. He also enjoyed filling sandbags that would be used to make dikes (technically levees) around areas that were not flood-proofed. My dad’s family evacuated to Portage la Prairie to live with my dad’s great-aunt, he was “homeschooled” (given a binder with homework) during this time. I don’t know how the adults felt during the flood, but the 5th graders didn’t seem to care about it very much.

Spanish - By Cohen Duval
Hola Morris School Blog, my name is Cohen and today I will be lecturing you on the Spanish holiday called Cinco de Mayo. It's the historic day where the Spanish were led to victory by General Ignacio Zaragoza over the second French Empire at the battle of Peubla in the year 1862. With the French's defeat, the Spanish were free from their painful shackles. Sadly, Zaragoza died of a very dangerous illness a few months after the battle. However, the second battle of Puebla struck by storm leaving the Spanish to be defeated until the United States stepped in and thus the American civil war was finally over. With the Americans' victory, they supplied guns to Mexico and thus the war was over.

Link below about the history of Cinco de Mayo: https://youtu.be/BqVh0htY4PA?si=3fbfSlm69XD62tgo

Disclaimer: I did not make the video credits: to KTVB7.

Basketball
The Varsity Girls got off to a great start against St. Paul's on Monday night but could hang on in the second half. The Varsity Boys fared better, beating St. Paul's 82-63. The JV Boys travelled to Shevchenko on Wednesday evening, eventually falling to the Sabres. This week sees the Varsity Girls and JV Boys travel to Rosenort on Monday, while the Varsity Girls and Varsity Boys travel to Prairie Mountain on Tuesday.

Next week the Varsity Girls host their home tournament, beginning Friday with games at 12:45 and 5:15.
Our 7/8's continue to practice in preparation for their first league games next week. Girls practice on Tuesday at lunch and Thursday after school while the Boys practice Wednesdays at lunch and Thursday after school. All 7/8 students are welcome to join!

Curling
Our Maverick Curling teams are excited to return to Zone play. Unfortunately, their Zone Bonspiel on Friday, January 16/17 was cancelled due to weather. They will now compete on Jan 30/31.

Hockey
The Mavs traveled to Carman Wednesday night, where they defeated the Cougars 4-3. Next week they are busy with games on Sunday (@ W.C. Miller 4:00pm), Thursday (@ Portage 7:30pm), and Friday (@ W.C. Miller 8:00pm).

Wrestling
After a snow day cancelled school on Friday, the Morris Mavericks still hit the road early Saturday, January 17, making the 2.5 hour drive northeast to Kenora for the Lake of the Woods Wrestling Tournament. With highway closures limiting travel, only three of the seven registered wrestlers were able to attend, but they made the most of the opportunity. Harvey DeShutter, a Grade 2 wrestler competing against Grade 5 and 6 opponents, earned a silver medal alongside Oliver Taylor, who also wrestled to silver. Logan Kurylko battled through a tough bracket and came away with a bronze medal and valuable mat experience.

​The annual band program fundraiser, the "Entertainment and Dessert Night" is set for Thursday, February 12th at 6:30pm in the theatre. This event will feature talents from K-12 students (and staff!) and will raise money to support the band trip expenses for this year. K-12 auditions (which are optional) will be held in the band room anytime between 12-1pm on January 22nd and 23rd. We've had students dance, act, sing, play, do magic, ventriloquism.. you name it! Any and all talents are welcome to come with a prepared audition. 

Tickets will be $10/adult and $5/student and are available from Mrs. Zimmerman or any band student. Payment can be cash or cheque to Morris School. The event will likely sell out in advance, so tickets are first come first served. Students who are performing do not need to purchase a ticket. Any questions see Mrs. Zimmerman! 

The Kindergarten Information evening is scheduled for Thursday, February 19th.

​The link to register for Kindergarten is ----> [HERE].

Just a reminder that 5/6 Broomball starts on this Monday, January 12th. Make sure you check the rosters and schedules so you know when and where your games are. Get ready for some fast-paced fun!

Looking ahead, our next Middle Years event will be Swamp Ball on January 30th, held in the Senior Years gym @12:05!!!!
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Sign-up sheets are available in your classrooms, so don’t forget to add your name if you want to participate!

The 5/6 Moore class hit the toboggan slopes on Thursday afternoon. ​

Basketball
Our High School teams officially got underway this week, starting with a tripleheader on Tuesday against Westpark. The JV Boys, Varsity Girls, and Varsity Boys all got off to a slow start against some good Westpark teams. The JV Boys and Varsity Girls were back on the court Wednesday, with the Boys defeating Miami while the girls fell to Carman.

This weekend the Varsity Boys hosted their home tournament. They finished the round robin 1-1 with a victory over Steinbach Christian and a loss to Green Valley. This qualified them for the 3rd place game where they defeated Boissevain 87-60.

This week the Varsity Girls and Boys host St. Paul's on Monday. The Girls start at 6pm with the Boys immediately after. Our JV Boys travel to Shevchenko on Wednesday.
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Hockey
The Mavs started the second half this week with a 4-3 loss to Carman Friday night and a 9-1 victory over Mountain on Saturday. Next week they travel to Carman on Wednesday (game time 7:30) and Manitou on Friday (game time 7:30) to play Pembina.

Rugby
Rugby is BACK! While we are still a ways away from the regular season, our first information meeting to discuss training camps, practices, and the season will be Wednesday, Jan. 14th at lunch in Mr. Antoski's room. This is for all Gr. 9 - 12 boys, rookies and veterans, to get the details of the season and for us to get an idea of the numbers for a varsity and junior varsity team. If you're interested in being a part of another championship run, then come to the meeting on Wednesday! Go Mavs go!

Wrestling
The MAVs wrestling team has been busy and impressive over the last two tournaments, showing both depth and momentum as the season rolls on.

The action started on December 20 at the Battle of Niverville Wrestling Tournament, where Logan Kurylko led the way with a gold medal performance. Emma Knelsen had an especially strong day. In the morning she won her weight class at the Manitoba Winter Games trials, earning a spot on the South team that will compete in Thompson in early March 2026. She followed that up by stepping back on the mat in the afternoon tournament and taking home a silver medal. Samantha Storck and Michael Shewchuk also battled their way to silver, while Adrian Shewchuk rounded out the medal count with a bronze.

The MAVs were back on the mats again on January 11 at the WAMMA NextGen Wrestling Tournament with eight wrestlers competing. Bella Thompson picked up a big milestone by winning her first wrestling match ever. Harvey DeSchutter brought home gold, Emma Knelsen and Tomoki Kosawa earned silver, and Geraldo Buhler and Adrian Shewchuk both finished with bronze medals.

With two strong tournaments behind them, the team is right back at it this week as the MAVs travel to Kenora for their next round of competition. Go MAVs!

Happy New Year from the Fountain Pen! After a well-rested break, we are back with another edition of student-submitted writing. This week, you will read the biography of Penny Oleksiak, one of Canada's most decorated athletes, information on taking Hairstyling as a vocational option, exam study tips, a report on the tragedy in Switzerland, and how to ask "How are you?" in Spanish. 

Grade 11 Canadian History - By Erin HamblinPenny Oleksiak 

Penny Oleksiak is a Canadian swimmer, born on June 13, 2000 in Ontario. She is tied with Andre De Grasse as Canada’s most decorated olympian, with seven total medals. She holds the record as the youngest Canadian to win gold. In 2016, she became the first Canadian athlete at a single Olympic Summer Games to win four medals. Penny has also won a total of nine medals at the world championships which is more than any other Canadian swimmer. She received awards like the Lou Marsh Trophy and the Bobbie Rosenfeld Award. Penny Oleksiak has inspired Canadian athletes to follow their dreams. She has shown that through hard work and determination anyone can achieve great things. 

https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/

Grade 10 ELA - By Emah Phillips 
Have you ever dreamed or been passionate about hair school? Or is it just the first step of making your dreams a reality? When you are older, do you ever want to start your own business? Next semester I'm going to hair school in Winkler, and I have to take two buses to get there. I am really excited about one of the biggest advantages of attending hair school, which is that you get hands-on experience. 

It is a fun way of starting your career in something you enjoy.  When I am older, my goal is to open my own hair salon. I have always loved doing hair, and when I was younger, I enjoyed doing my siblings’ hair. I am a little nervous about starting at a new school since it will be my first time there, but I know that once I learn everything I need to know, I will be able to do my family’s hair with confidence.
I really like to learn how to do a fish braid. Here is a video on how to do a fish braid.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upgtN6R1HbE


Grade 9 ELA - By Addy Hamblin - Studying for Exams 
People study best in different ways because everyone's brain works a little differently. Some people learn best by reading and writing. These students benefit from rewriting notes, making summaries, and creating flashcards. This is what I like to do personally, and after doing some further research I found out that writing things out helps them remember information, especially for subjects like history or science. Quiet study spaces work best for them, and they often like to study alone so they can fully focus. 

Other people are visual or hands-on learners. They understand material better when they see it or use it. These students might use diagrams, charts, color coded notes, or mind maps to organize information. Watching short videos, drawing out processes, or teaching the material to someone else can also help them learn. Some learners prefer studying in short bursts with breaks, moving around, or using real examples to connect ideas, which makes studying more engaging and more stressful. 

In the end, everyone learns differently, so there is no single “right” way to study. Taking time to discover what methods work best for you can make studying more effective and less stressful. When you use strategies that match how you learn, you are more likely to feel confident and succeed in the long run, since you prepared well. 

Grade 9 ELA - By Eliana Unger
The New Year usually brings excitement and new goals, but for the citizens of Switzerland, it only brings sorrow. A bar on New Year's Eve was filled with anticipation for the next year, until it wasn't. A fire took the lives of 40 people and left over 100 people injured. Many of the survivors have suffered severe burns. For days, many families didn't know if their loved ones were still alive or were dead. Now that all 40 people who died have been identified, their families can finally know the truth. Over half of those killed were teenagers. The horrors and fear these people are living with have taken away any joy left in the New Year. For many, the New Year has only brought new pain.                       

Spanish - By Evolet Jablonski¿Como Estas?
¿Como estas? Means ‘how are you’ in Spanish; which is something we’ve been learning in class. I’ll teach you how to respond to it. First, to say ‘I am,’ you would say ‘yo estoy’ or just ‘estoy.’ And then you’d follow that with how you are. 
An example “conversation” is:

Person 1: ¡Hola! ¿Cómo estás?
Person 2: ¡Hola! Yo estoy bien.
And that’s their entire conversation

There are many possible responses to ‘¿Cómo estás?’ So I have provided a table with many possible answers.

Our Grade 12 ELA students will get one day of reprieve and then head into their first of semester-ending exams. Note to Grade 12 ELA students, writing this exam does not end your responsibility to continue to attend ELA classes. Your final ELA class will be Friday, January 23. 

For all other high school students...Please look over the exam schedule to ensure you know the day(s) of your exam(s), and are prepared. If you notice a conflict in the schedule, please let Mr. Watson know.

Over the break, while the members of our Morris School Robotics program were sleeping in or eating at family dinners, they still managed to be recognized throughout the province by various media outlets. Numerous community members alerted the blog staff about seeing our school's robotics team mentioned in the news. 

They included a great piece by Candice Derksen (Link ---> Pembina Valley Online), and Ace Burpee recognizing the team as one of the Top 100 'Most Fascinating' Manitobans of 2025 in his year-end piece in the Saturday, December 27 edition of the Winnipeg Free Press. Our school appreciates the group and the media outlets for recognizing some positive new stories that include Morris School. 

Grade 5/6 intramurals wrapped up paintball this past week—and what a blast it was! Students brought tons of energy and enthusiasm as they jumped into fast-paced games full of strategy, movement, and plenty of exciting action.  

A big congratulations goes to You Got It Dude, who battled hard and ultimately won the championship! 

Thank you to all students who participated and helped make paintball intramurals such a success. We’re already looking ahead to our next activity--broomball coming up in January.  

December was full of excitement, laughter, and festive fun as the K–2 classes celebrated the 12 Days of Christmas together! Each day began with the classes singing:

“On the ___ day of Christmas, my teacher gave to me…”

After the song, the teachers revealed the day's special theme, and the fun began!

Throughout the celebration, students enjoyed a variety of engaging and joyful activities, including Grinch Day, cookie fun, and visits from two special guest readers (Mrs. Whitely and Mr. Watson) who shared wonderful stories with our students. Other festive days included ornament-making, collaborative colouring, K–2 joint playtime, snowflake creations, and warming up with hot cocoa.
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These days were a great way to build community across grade levels, encourage creativity, and spread holiday cheer throughout our school.

The Mavericks' Hockey team would like to thank all those who supported their most recent fundraising activity, the cash calendar. To the generous sponsors, this wouldn't be possible without your support. We know you have multiple people reaching out for your support, so your support for our team means a great deal. To those who purchased tickets, your generosity allowed the team to travel to the Maritimes for an experience of a lifetime.

The back to back Alberta Clippers may have robbed a couple of days, but our spirit week was still spirit-filled to end our 2025 portion of the 2025-26 school year. Thanks to the Student Leadership Group for organizing the week. 

Winter Town Bus will begin on Monday, January 5, 2026. Winter Town Buses are open to K-8 students. If there is room on the buses, high school students will be allowed to board. If you want to register your high school student, please do so; their name will be added to the waiting list. You will be contacted by Friday, December 19th, if your high school student is assigned a seat on the bus.


Registration Deadline is Thursday, December 18th

Please use the following link to register your student for the Winter Town Bus:
https://forms.gle/xWTRCfdw5grhHfVa7

The following is a list of drivers and pickup/drop-off intersections.
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)

Below you will find the first draft of the Semester 1 Exam Schedule. If you notice a conflict, please see Mr. Watson or your guidance counsellor as soon as possible. More details about exams will be forthcoming. 

​The K-5 students have been working hard to put on their Christmas Concert for you, and it is this week on Thursday, December 18th! There will be an open dress rehearsal at 1:30pm, and the concert starts at 6:30pm in the evening, both in the Senior Gymnasium. Please have your child report to their classroom between 6-6:15pm on Thursday evening. They can be picked up from their classrooms at the end of the concert. Students are asked to stay for the entire concert, as they all have a mass performance at the end of the show!  Each class is encouraged to dress up from their particular "decade" as part of our story. Here are the class decades: 

1950's: Kindergarten Owls and Frogs
1960's: 1/2 Siemens
1970's: 1/2 Curran
1980's: 3/4 Blanchette
1990's: 1/2 Roberge
2000's: 3/4 Edel
2010's: All Grade 5's (main actors have different costumes)
2020-present day: 3/4 Johnston

The Grade 5-6 classes enjoyed a guest reader this past week in the library.  Ketema Wall is a Pembina Valley Twisters hockey player and was a guest reading the book "One Hockey Night" to each class.  He is the featured Twister player in the current magazine "Game On" which is available at Bigway Foods in Morris and the Morris Rec Centre.  Ketema graciously answered student questions, posed for photos and signed autographs for the students.  His story of coming to Canada and his love for hockey was certainly inspiring to hear.  Thank you to him for the visit.

MPI is introducing a new phased approach to Driver Z registration.  https://www.mpi.mb.ca/about-driver-z/
 
Starting in January 2026, eligible customers will be contacted by email to register for spring 2026 Driver Z courses during assigned registration windows throughout the month. 
 
Spring 2026 courses (with a start date between March and May 2026) will be available to view only on Course Finder on December 12, 2025.  
 
The public website was updated with information about Driver Z registration by appointment window on December 8, 2025.  
 
Spreading out registration over several weeks is expected to prevent the rush to register and reduce lineups at brokers and service centres on registration day.  
 
Customer Selection 
To be eligible for a registration window, customers must: 

• Be set up as a customer with MPI. 
• Purchase a Driver Education service. 
• Meet the existing Driver Z eligibility requirements. 

 
For the spring 2026 registration period, the deadline to purchase the Driver Education service and be eligible for a registration window is Saturday, January 3, 2026, end of day.  
Eligible customers will be grouped into registration windows based on birthdate (oldest to youngest), course availability in the customer’s community, and reciprocity.  
 
Customers who are not assigned to a registration window, miss their assigned window, or purchase the Driver Education service after the deadline, will still be able to register during a general registration period. 
 
Customer Notification 
Customers will be notified about registration eligibility and windows by email, using the email address they provide when being set up as a customer with MPI.  
 
To ensure parents/guardians know what to expect, please advise that the email address in the student’s customer account is used for both Driver Z registration window emails and Driver Z program emails. 
 
During the registration period, customers may receive up to four emails: 

• An email advising they will be considered for a registration window (this email does not guarantee that they will be assigned to a registration window)
• A selection email confirming they have been assigned to a specific registration window and when it starts
• A reminder email sent near the end of their assigned registration window

 
Once the registration windows are complete, customers with an active Driver Education service who have not registered for a course will receive an email informing them when general registration opens.
 
All emails will be sent from Driver Z Automatic Mailing ([email protected]).  
 
Registration Process 
The process to register a customer for Driver Z is not changing; however, during the registration window period, the MPI system will prevent registration if: 

• The customer attempts to register before being assigned to a window.
• The customer attempts to register before their assigned registration window (for example, they attend on a Tuesday, when the registration window doesn’t start until Wednesday).
• The customer attempts to register after their assigned window has ended.

 
The registration windows for the spring 2026 registration period are as follows: 
Window Registration---> First Day to Register--->Last Day to Register
Registration Window #1--->Wednesday, January 7, 2026--->Saturday, January 10, 2026 
Registration Window #2--->Wednesday, January 14, 2026--->Saturday, January 17, 2026 
Registration Window #3--->Wednesday, January 21, 2026--->Saturday, January 24, 2026 
General Registration--->Wednesday, January 28, 2026--->Start date of the last course 

If you have any questions, please let me know or visit Upcoming Driver Z course registration dates

It's the Fountain Pen's penultimate entry before the Christmas break! This week, you will learn about the woman on the Canadian $10 bill, partake in a M.U.G., read a haunting winter-themed original short story, and you will be presented a shrewd summary of this week in Spanish class. Finally, you will finally have an answer to the question: how do grade 9 students spend their weekends? Enjoy!

Grade 11 Canadian History - By Oystein Darling - Viola Irene Desmond, Born July 6, 1914
She was a beautician and built a career and business to mentor other young Black women In Nova Scotia. (Desmond beauty culture school) In 1946 Viola faced racial discrimination when she refused to leave the segregated white only section in Roseland theater, she was then arrested overnight and convicted without legal representation. Viola was noticed for her refusal to racial discrimination and inspired the later generation of black people in Canada. Later she was issued Desmond free pardon and The Bank of Canada announced Viola to be the first Canadian woman to be featured by herself on the face of a banknote.
This is historically important because Viola acted in refusal to racial discrimination and was noticed for her actions becoming an inspirational figure to the upcoming African Canadians.

Other facts about Viola:

• Canadian civil rights activist and business woman.
• She has appeared on the $10 Canadian bill since 2018.
• Her case happened 9 years before the Rosa Parks incident in the U.S.

​
M.U.G. By Cody Laroche
Below are a few examples of the MUG assignments we do in grade 10 ELA. MUG stands for Mechanics, Usage, Grammar, and in MUG, our teacher makes two paragraphs or sentences with grammatical mistakes in them, and it is our job to find those mistakes. If you’re interested, then you can try to find all of the mistakes in the 2 paragraphs below!

There are a total of 4 mistakes each.

Sentence 1
jeremy wrote a letter to his mother for Mother’s day. When his mother received the letter, she was so overjoyed that she drove all the way to Ontario to see him. When she got there, they decided to spend the entire day together at the fare. They ended the day with a roller coster ride, which they ended up regretting later.
Sentence 2
Gregory, a coal minor, always complains about the long, work-intensive days. John, however, never complains, because he never has to work as many hours as him. Gregory always calls him soft for this, but he isn’t bothered by it, because he knows it’s pointless to argue, Reasons like this are the reason why jim prefers to work in an ofice, away from physical labor, and away from being called soft.

Frost Bites   PART 1 - By Shylo Lake
One winter night, a Teenage girl was driving back from a party, as she was on her way home, she saw some type of shadow figure in the distance. She had thought it was an animal but as she got closer she realized it was a human! She slammed on the breaks, but once she had opened her eyes back up and the person was gone. Once regaining her composure, she kept on driving trying to shake off this weird feeling, but just as she was feeling a bit better the person was back on the road, but they were different. They had a saw in their left hand and a rope in the other. The teenage girl decides to get out of the car and see if they need help, but as she gets out of the car they disappear, except there was blood pooling on the ground replacing where the person once was. She walked towards the pooling blood but as she got closer, the blood started to spell out words, they read “you’re next.” with an arrow pointing towards the woods. She looked up from the ground to see a rope hanging for a tree, once she saw that she fell back onto the ground trying to scramble to her feet, nevertheless she finally made it onto her feet then ran to her car. She got into her car and tried to start it except it wouldn't start, she tried it a few more times, nothing it was almost like it was ‘frosted’. She sat there looking for a way to run but there was none. She was too late, she tried to run but it was waiting for her. She was already gone. It had got her. A couple days later she was found in a ditch, frozen solid with slash marks all over her body. Some had looked like she was bitten. You could say she had frost bites all over her, what had attacked her, who had attacked her and for what reason?

Grade 9 ELA - By Philippa Bugera
For this week's blog post I’ll be talking about what I did this weekend. This weekend I had friends over for my birthday party. We hung out at my house and ate pizza and cake for supper and dessert. At 7:45pm my drove us (Bailey, Keira, Addy, and I) to Flying Squirrel (a trampoline park) . We were booked to go jumping during neon hour, with neon lights and a dj. So once our time starts we go jumping. Half way through we decided to go play dodge ball because why not it’s fun (obviously). As we are playing dodge there’s this one specific dude who is there and keeps targeting us (the only girls playing dodgeball). So we brush it off, not a big deal right. Once we leave the dodgeball area we go to the area where you take these big round things and try to push each other off of the balance beam looking thing. And that one dude wants to go against one of us. So he goes against Addy and Keira (I think). After the girls won against him twice we decided to just go to the trampolines and jump, this dude follows us and jumps with us. So after we jump with him for a bit we take a break and sit, we start asking questions about him because the random dude is following us and we want to know more about him. We find out his name is Jayden and he is 15, we ask if he is here with anyone he says “No, just myself and my dad… he has one leg” he said it nonchalantly and myself and all the girls were trying not to laugh. After that we said that we were there for my birthday party, he goes (again nonchalantly) “none of my friends showed up to my birthday party, only my best friend but he moved back with his grandma in Ontario a couple years ago, so now I have no friends”. We felt so bad because he had no friends, so we told him that we’d be his friend. That’s the story of how we met Jayden, A.K.A. our new best friend. 

Next weekend plans! By Bailey Thompson
Next weekend I’m not really busy but I’m planning on going to my younger sister's hockey game because I’ve been busy and they always want me to go watch. Sally Anne has been on a losing streak with her hockey which is very disappointing, but the reason Sally Anne wants me to go to the game is because the one that I went to she got a goal and they won 11-1. So she thinks that if I go, she will get a goal and win. Well Bella’s team is on a winning streak. I think her team is the best in the league because they always win by a lot. I think both of their games are on Saturday so that is my plan for Saturday. On Sunday I don’t think I’m doing anything but I’ll probably be doing homework. That is my plan for this weekend! 

Spanish - By Xander Penner
In Spanish class, we explored Peru, delving into its geography, culture, and history. We learned about Peru's diverse landscapes, from the Andes Mountains to the Amazon rainforest, and its rich cultural heritage. and its architectural achievements.

Additionally, we expanded our Spanish vocabulary using Duolingo, focusing on practical words and phrases. This helped us understand basic communication and appreciate the nuances of the Spanish language. The combination of cultural exploration and language learning made for an engaging and informative class.

Our Parent Council is inviting you for some cookie decorating and hot chocolate on Wednesday! The event will be hosted in our Home Economics lab. If you've ordered water bottles from the PAC's fundraiser, you can pick them up in the library before, during, or after the cookie decorating experience! Come on out and have some fun!

​The Valley Agricultural Society Board of Directors, staff, and volunteers would like to congratulate Jax Sanders for the valuable contributions he has made—and continues to make—to our annual events, including both the Manitoba Stampede and Exhibition and Rumble in the Valley. Jax has stepped up on many occasions, and his work ethic and leadership are truly commendable.

His countless efforts were recognized at the Valley Agricultural Society AGM on December 4, where he was presented with the VAS 2025 Youth Volunteer of the Year Award.

Dear Families,
​With the colder weather now here, please ensure your child comes to school each day with appropriate winter clothing. This includes ski pants, a warm jacket, a toque, and mittens. We spend time outdoors daily, and having proper gear helps keep everyone warm, safe, and comfortable.

At this time, we do not have enough extra winter clothing to lend out to all students who need it. We appreciate your support in making sure your child is prepared for outdoor play and learning.

We are doing a Winter Clothing Drive from December 1-17. If your family has gently used winter clothing that your child has outgrown, please consider donating it. These donations directly support families who may need additional items throughout the season.
​
Thank you for helping us keep all students warm during the winter months.

Some cheerful members of our Senior Band program played Christmas carols at the Breakfast with Santa event this past Saturday! The Grinch even made an appearance to conduct them! Some of our Morris students also volunteered their artistic talents as face painters, and our MAVs hockey team was a big part of the volunteer crew that helped make the event a success. ​Well done, MAVs!

This week, The Fountain Pen explores many exciting topics. From Canadian History, you'll read about an iconic suffragist. Grade 10 ELA has a double-feature - one of which reviews popular shopping spots this Holiday season, the other writes of the hard work displayed by the Morris School band program. In Grade 9 ELA, you'll learn about a famous birthday that occurred this week, and to close out this week's edition, you will learn about a famous Spanish tradition. Enjoy! 

Grade 11 Canadian History - By Erin Hamblin - Emily Stowe 
Emily Stowe was a physician, teacher, school principal and suffragist. She was born on May 1, 1831 and died April 30, 1903. She was a founder of the Canadian Women's Suffrage Association and is considered to be the first female physician to publicly practice medicine in Ontario. She also became the first female principal of a public school in Ontario. Throughout her career, she continuously fought for equality between men and women. She worked to improve women’s access to higher education, as well as their right to vote and own property. Emily Stowe is important to Canadian history because she worked to improve women's rights for Canada's future. Without people like her, our country would look much different from what it does now. She has inspired people to fight for equality and stand up for themselves in our country.
https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/emily-stowe  

Grade 10 ELA - By Lawrence Simpson
​Today's blog post is about the Morris band class that has been preparing for weeks for the winter band concert. During lunch, you can hear the music run through the halls, building excitement for the school. The music club is very popular because it gives kids a chance to be creative and show their talent.
The leaders and teachers have been planning this concert for months and are working hard to improve and impress everyone. So come down for the concert, bring your cameras and get ready for some tunes. It’s great to see so many people discovering a love for music and building confidence along the way. It is really something to admire. It takes guts to perform, so please bring a positive and supportive mindset.

Grade 10 ELA - By Alia Campbell
Good evening, students, staff, and families. This week's blog will be about where to do Christmas shopping. First off is Winners, which offers tons of different home decor, clothes, snacks, hygiene products, and trinkets. Everything is fair-priced with a wide selection. Next is Shoppers. This might not be everyone's favourite place to shop, yet they have lots of deals and a wide variety of products. You can shop for babies, kids, teens, and adults all in one store. Third is Amazon. Some people don't like online shopping, yet Amazon has everything you could imagine. They have the widest selection and are not too pricey. The downside is that your order could get cancelled or not arrive in time for the holidays. When shopping in person, you are guaranteed to go home with the item you bought, but online shopping may differ. Besides that, those are the three main places to buy gifts for your loved ones. Where would you suggest?

Grade 9 ELA - By Joseph Raiqiso - Walt Disney’s Birthday
Famous writer, animator, and business owner Walt Disney’s birthday is Friday, December 5. Although he has passed away, he is still probably the world's best and most well-known writer. Walt animated many children's movies way back then, which have been retold many times across the world. He is so famous that they made two different major theme parks after him, one in California called Disneyland and one in Florida called Disney World ( which covers over 27,000 acres of land).

Walt Disney made many movies about fairy tales and imaginative worlds, like Cinderella, Snow White, and others. Walt's most successful and one of his oldest characters is Mickey Mouse, a small black-and-white mouse with large overalls, a skinny tail, big shoes, and big ears. Mickey was created on Nov. 18th, 1928. A fun fact about Walt Disney is that he has made 64 official films. Walt Disney passed away on Dec 15th, 1966, just 10 days after his 65th birthday.

Spanish - By Hannah Klassen - Bull Runs
​The tradition of running half a mile with 6 bulls is quite old. It started in medieval times. It was globally popularized by Ernest Hemingway’s novel “The Sun Also Rises".
As you might expect, the bull run is quite dangerous. Many injuries are acquired during the bull run. Fatalities have also occurred even as recently as 2009, and before that, 15 deaths happened during the run.
Some people might now be asking why continue such a violent event at all? The bull run is a deep-seated part of Pamplona's tradition. The festival brings many hundreds of people to Pamplona and the surrounding area, and without it, there would be much less tourism.

​Early bird draw Darrin Bouchard from La Broquerie
Dec 1 Barb Vermette from Aubigny 
Dec 2 Adam Boulanger from Steinbach 
Dec 3 Chad Dearborn from St. Malo
Dec 4 Frieda Ginter from St. Pierre
Dec 5 Shauna Vermette from Aubigny
Dec 6 Steph Bérard from Letellier
Dec 7 Eric Maynard from St. Malo

Below is the link to the Square Site. 
https://redrivervalleyparentandchildcenter.square.site/

Just a reminder to anyone who participated in the K-12 music poinsettia fundraiser, pick up is this Monday, December 1st, from 3:30 to 5:30 pm in the theatre. Students/sellers are responsible for picking up all of their orders unless otherwise communicated and arranged with their buyers. Please pick up your orders on Monday or contact Mrs. Zimmerman ([email protected]) as soon as possible if you cannot pick them up on Monday. Thank you for your support of the Morris School Music Program! ​

​Their first project was based on animals and nature. We read the story We are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom. The students brainstormed what they thought of when they heard the word 'nature.' Students listed a bunch of animals and then voted on the one they wanted to create. Mrs. Siemens' class decided on an eagle. Students decided green and blue would fit best as a background because eagles spend a lot of their time in the sky flying and living close to it (blue) and on land diving down for food (green). Mrs Roberge's class decided on a turtle because there was a turtle in the story. They chose to paint the background blue because turtles spend a lot of their time in the water. 

Their second project was based on Roy Henry Vickers artwork. He loves doing art that represents where he lives (British Columbia) and often creates pictures around animals and water. He uses warm colours (red, orange and yellow) and cool colours (blue, purple, green) to create a background and uses a silhouette. Students were inspired by his art and created their own using blending techniques to create the ombre coloured water and sunrise. They chose to do an orca whale as their silhouette to represent British Columbia. 

Next, the students will be exploring Christi Belcourt Metis Dot Art and Norval Morrisseau Woodland Art Style. 

Basketball 
JV Boys Basketball Practice on Monday at 3:30 in the Early Years Gym and Thursday at 3:30 in the Seniors Year Gym. 

Curling
Mavericks, this is your chance to jump into something energizing just as winter settles in. We’re putting together our Zone IV High School Curling teams, and we’re looking for students in Grades 9 to 12 who want to represent Morris School on the ice.

If you’ve curled for years or you’re simply curious, come to a short meeting on Tuesday, Dec 2, at 12:10 in Miss Epler’s classroom. It won’t take long, but it will give you a sense of what the season could look like and how you can be part of it.

Think of it as stepping onto a sheet of fresh possibilities. Come out, ask your questions, and see where your talent might take you.

Hockey
Mavericks Hockey Trip to Moncton.
Last week, the Mavs Hockey team took a trip to Moncton, New Brunswick, for the 50th Dieppe Classic hockey tournament. It was a great experience filled with competitive hockey and lots of sightseeing. 

After round robin play, the team finished with a one-win, one-tie, and one-loss record. This gave them 5th place out of 10 teams and a berth in the quarter finals. The boys battled hard but ended up on the wrong end of a 2-1 game. They had a great showing at the tournament.

The team spent their off days touring Moncton and the area, including a visit to the Confederation Bridge, which carries people from New Brunswick across the Atlantic Ocean to PEI. We also got to see the Bay of Fundy, specifically Hopewell Rock, where the tide rises and falls 53ft every 6 hours!

It was a great experience, and the players have memories that will last a lifetime.
​
Volleyball
Our Mavericks gained a lot from their time at the MHSAA 'AA' Varsity Boys Volleyball Provincial Championship in Russell this past weekend, and carried themselves well on a demanding stage. The tournament challenged them, but it also showed how far they’ve come and what it takes to compete at that level. Even though they didn’t achieve the result they wanted at Provincials, the season still delivered a highlight they can take pride in. Capturing the Zone IV Championship banner is a lasting accomplishment, and it will hang in our gym as a reminder of the standard this group set. We also want to thank all the student-athletes for the effort they put in from start to finish. Their commitment shaped the season. A special thank you goes to Mr. Cox and Mrs. Leflar for their steady guidance and coaching throughout the year. Their work helped create an experience the boys will carry forward.

Last week, all of our grade 7 and 8 classes travelled to Winnipeg and took part in the Manitoba Moose Project 11 School Day game. During the game, students cheered, danced, and heard messages from some of the Moose players who promoted strategies for mental health and well-being, as well as how to create healthy habits, which fit perfectly with the messages we have been promoting in the classroom. ​

This past Friday, the Morris School Middle Years hosted their first group event of the year, and what an incredible start it was! A total of 74 enthusiastic students signed up to battle it out in an action-packed round of Invasion Dodgeball, all competing for ultimate dodgeball supremacy.
The gym was buzzing with energy as teams strategized, dodged, ducked, and dove their way through the competition. Huge shoutout to our four amazing teams who brought the intensity, the teamwork, and the fun:

• The Moops
• The B-Sharps
• Scott’s Tots
• In West Philadelphia...

Each team showed awesome spirit and impressive skills, making it a fantastic kickoff to our Middle Years events.
Thank you to everyone who participated, cheered, or helped make the event run smoothly. Special thanks to Addy Hamblin for helping out!!!!

Stay tuned to the blog for our next MY event in January! You won’t want to miss it! 

This past Wednesday, our Grades 9-12 students and our staff took part in the first phase of the Staff vs. Students Cornhole Tournament. The bean bags were flying (a few of them went into the hole), but everyone had fun. 

Morris Robotics (Blue Bomber) had its first tournament of the season in Fisher, Minnesota, on Saturday, November 22. In the skills competition, they finished 3rd out of 40 teams. In the alliance competition, they were ranked 11th out of 40 teams after the qualifying matches and reached the quarterfinals before being eliminated. 

A highlight for Blue Bomber was achieving a double park score when paired with a team from Grand Forks during the alliance competition, meaning the wheels of both robots could not be touching the ground outside the park zone at the end of the match. They were one of the few teams at the tournament to accomplish this task, and because of the precision required, the judge had to conduct a "paper test": a piece of paper had to slide underneath each robot to verify that the wheels were not touching the ground. The alliance was successful!

Drop in Tutoring Club 9-12
Tuesday & Wednesdays in the Resource/Study Room starting Nov. 25th.  At 12:10 pm, bring your lunch.
Tutors will be available to help mainly with math, but also with other subjects, depending on availability. 
Contact Mrs. Leflar or Mrs. Dueck for more information.

...and the Organizational Club

The Grade 12 40S Family Studies Class decided to participate in Operation Christmas Child. A few students wanted to be a part of giving children in another part of the world the joy of Christmas. We filled shoe boxes with necessities and fun items for a boy and a girl aged 10-14. Graciously, another student and his family took care of shipping it out with their church family’s shoe boxes. Way to Go, MAVs!

The Morris School Lego club started this week, and fun was had by all. Here's the schedule for those who need a reminder...


​
Schedule
Mondays: Kindergarten (12:00–12:30) — students are picked up from classrooms
Tuesdays: Grades 1–2 (12:00–12:30) — students are picked up from classrooms
Wednesdays: Grades 3–4 (12:00–12:30) — students walk to the room
Thursdays: Grades 5–6 and 7–8 (12:30–1:00) — students walk to the room

Lego Club meets in the space near Mrs. Whitely’s office in the K–4 hallway.

Volleyball
Varsity Boys Volleyball: Our MAVs continue to practice this week, in preparation for the MHSAA 'AA' Provincial Championships that run from November 27 to 29 in Russell. We wish the boys all the success they can muster! We will be hosting a little send off pep rally on Wednesday to ensure they know how much we care and support them. Livestreaming will be available by click on the following link...www.youtube.com/@mpsevents5689

​Grade 7/8 Tripleball: The grade 7/8 volleyball season came to an end this week, with both boys and girls teams competing in the RRVAA divisional final tournament.

The boys were in St. Malo on Wednesday, November 19th, while the girls' tournament took place in St. Pierre. The girls won one game and lost one in the round-robin, which gave them a bye to the semifinals. In the semifinals, they beat J.A. Cuddy 2 sets to none. In the finals, the girls played a solid game against Rosenort and lost by a few points in the 3rd and final set. 

On the boys' side, the boys continued to roll and finished off their UNDEFEATED season (that's correct- they never lost one game the entire year, through tournaments, league play, and playoffs) as RRVAA DIVISIONAL CHAMPIONS. They beat Rosenort in the semifinals 2 sets to none, and beat Oak Bluff in two straight sets in the finals.

Finishing in 1st and 2nd place in the division is great for our future high school volleyball teams! Way to go, MAVs.

Basketball
- JV Boys Basketball Meeting Monday in Ms. Arkle's Room
- V Boys Practices: Monday and Wednesday @ 5:30
- JV and V Girls Practices: Tuesday @ 5:30, Wed @ 3:30, and Fri @ 3:30

Wrestling
Wrestling Practices continue this week, with after-school practices for Jr and Sr MAVs who are looking to compete at tournaments (Monday, Wednesday, & Friday from 3:30 to 5:30 pm). Mini-MAVs will wrestle Monday (Grades 1/2), Tuesday (Grades 3/4), and Friday (Grades 5/6).

​The first term report cards for K-8 students and the November Progress Reports for our grades 9-12 students should be uploaded to your respective PowerSchool accounts by the middle of next week.  All report cards can be accessed via PowerSchool (in a web browser). The link to the parent portal is rrvsd.powerschool.com/public.

​On Thursday, November 13, seventeen students from Morris School had the opportunity to attend UM Discover Days in Health Sciences at the Bannatyne campus downtown. Students participated in a variety of hands-on workshop and learned about the wide variety of opportunities available in health sciences. 

Addy did some fillings in her dentistry session, and Oscar and Mireya suited up for a microbiology lab.

​Congratulations to the 5/6 intramural handball champs......We Like Puppies. They took on the Huck Norris in intramural action this past Wednesday. Great job to all the participants. 

Paintball starts Monday Nov. 17th!!!! With You Got it Dude taking on Cut It Out!!!!

Also, don't forget to sign up for the Middle Years Dr. Dodgeball game, taking place on Nov. 28th!!!!

Your Order Link ---> Click [HERE] 

If you’d rather build something awesome than head outside at lunch, this is your spot. Drop in on your grade’s day, grab some bricks, and start creating. No permission forms, no sign-ups, and no pressure. Come once, come every week, or pop in whenever you feel like it.

All the LEGO you need is provided. You can work on your own masterpiece or team up with a friend. At the end of the session, everyone takes their creations apart so the next group has a fresh start the following day. It’s not always easy to take something apart, but it’s part of the fun.

Lego Club meets in the space near Mrs. Whitely’s office in the K–4 hallway.

Schedule
Mondays: Kindergarten (12:00–12:30) — students are picked up from classrooms
Tuesdays: Grades 1–2 (12:00–12:30) — students are picked up from classrooms
Wednesdays: Grades 3–4 (12:00–12:30) — students walk to the room
Thursdays: Grades 5–6 and 7–8 (12:30–1:00) — students walk to the room

Lego Club starts Monday, November 17 and runs until spring break. Come build something great!

Volleyball
Grade 7/8: Both Girls and Boys teams hosted Oak Bluff on Thursday afternoon. The Girls won in 5 sets while the boys won in 3. Both teams compete in their Divisional Playoff tournaments next Wednesday (Boys @ St. Malo, Girls @ Heritage).

Varsity Boys: Morris was one of the host sites for the first round of the MHSAA 'AA' Varsity Boys Provincial Championships. William Morton Collegiate (Gladstone), Erickson Collegiate, and Carberry Colllegiate joined our MAVs for round robin play. After all round robin games were complete, our MAVs earned a second place finish. That required our MAVs to earn their spot in the provincial tournament by playing one final game against William Morton Collegiate. After dropping the first set, our MAVs charged back to earn a victory and secure their spot in the MHSAA 'AA' Varsity Boys Volleyball Tournament, which is being held in Russell from November 27 to 29.  Way to Go, MAVs!

Hockey
The Mavs defeated W.C. Miller in 5-4 in overtime on Wednesday evening. Cohen Recksiedler had the winning goal. This week the Mavs head to Moncton, New Brunswick to compete in the Dieppe Hockey Classic.

Basketball
There will be a meeting for all high school students (Girls and Boys) interested in playing basketball this season on Monday at 12:10 in the gym.

Wrestling
​The Maverick Wrestling Team is heading into its seventh season, and it’s a great chance to build strength, confidence, and real wrestling skills. Practices start Monday, November 17. The program follows the same Olympic-style wrestling you see on TV, so athletes learn technique and body control in a safe, supportive environment. Mini-MAVs meet at lunch and are open to anyone in Grades 1–6 who wants to wrestle for fun. Junior and Senior MAVs train after school from 3:30 to 5:30, and those sessions are for students who want to compete at tournaments during the season. New wrestlers from Grades 1 to 12 can try things out until winter break before deciding to commit. If you’re looking for a sport that builds grit, fitness, and teamwork, wrestling is a solid choice.

Mark your calendars! The K-5 Christmas Concert will be on Thursday, December 18th and the 6-12 Band Concert will be on Wednesday, December 3rd. See posters attached for more details. Also, don't forget- if you participated in the poinsettia fundraiser, pick up will be on Monday, December 1st from 3:30-5:30pm in the Band Room. Please contact [email protected] with any questions! ​

40S Family Studies is gathering new items for Shoe Boxes

https://www.samaritanspurse.ca/pack-a-shoebox/?sc=SD25XDOCGA

The Fountain Pen is back again! This week’s edition features the War of 1812, an original short story, the history of the Christmas Tree and handy chart to help you describe your family in Spanish!  Enjoy!

Grade 11 Canadian History - By Ash Gellert - The War of 1812
The war of 1812 was a military conflict between America and Great Britain, as Canada was a colony of Great Britain it got swept up in the conflict. America invaded multiple times and fought all over Canada from the Arctic to the Great Lakes. The war gave Canada a growing sense of national identity.

The war had started as the British put a blockade for American ships so they couldn't trade in Europe anymore causing great economic distress. Because of this, American President James Madison believed Canada would be easy pickings and Canadians would welcome an invasion. As the congressmen continued to loudly demand war to retaliate against Great Britain.

The war caused many people living in Canada suffering, especially the Metis and Indigenous people as they lost many people and had their contribution to defending Canada forgotten and ignored.

Grade 10 ELA - by Kaitlyn Robidoux
A Ghost Story
I was walking around the town park looking for a park bench I could rest on and nap on. I had a long day polishing boots and jewelry for a couple of dollars. I was new to this town, so navigating through this particular park was a challenge. Right when I had thought I found somewheres to rest, I heard the loudest thump of all history of thumps. I was terrified, but so curious. 

A rush of adrenaline crashed into my bloodstream, and I hid to catch what possibly could’ve produced such a noise. Thump, thump thump.. Three more thumps had been made.. From the direction of which I came from. It grew louder and louder. I was sweating at this point, I know that if I could see myself all colour from my face would be stripped. Then, the most peculiar thing happened, what appears to be a giant is dragging it’s feet through the park! I was in such a state of shock, I hadn’t even realized that I was screaming.. And it was looking at me. I gathered my thoughts and ran like death himself was chasing me. 

My heart was pounding, every breath I took stung in fresh, cold air and my hair was in my face. I was frantic. Like nothing, the giant scooped me up and brought me face to face with… him? I couldn’t believe my eyes. It appeared to be the Cardiff giant, or his ghost? I was so close to him that I could feel the oddly low temperature off of him. He seemed like he was made of spiderwebs, cotton, and the wind.. If it were a physical attribute. 

I stopped screaming due to the amount of anxiety that was built into me. Then, he spoke “My, what a yelp you have.” I was taken aback.. He sounded human but he sure didn’t look like one. “Pardon me, miss, but I would appreciate it if you didn’t holler like that at all. It is rude, and you could wake those who sleep.” All sense left my body and I pointed my index at him and said “Excuse me? How rude! I wouldn’t have hallored and yelped if you wouldn’t have been so loud! You should be ashamed of yourself.”
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Grade 9 ELA - by Natalie Wiebe - The Origins of the Christmas Tree Tradition
A Christmas tree in this day and age is a tree most commonly consisting of needles and pine cones that is decorated with various kinds of ornaments. This tree is also generally associated with Christmas, and nowadays, has presents said to come from Santa's workshop stored beneath its lower branches. But that's not the beginning of the Christmas tree tradition.

The Christmas tree tradition began in Germany many years ago, in the 16th century, when Protestant Christians started to bring decorated trees into their homes. Then, the trees were decorated with tinsel, apples, wafers, and other sugary treats. Soon after these Christians began putting trees in their homes for Christmas, a different group of Christians, called Moravian Christians, began to light up their Christmas trees with candles, later becoming Christmas lights after the advancement of electrification.
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Today, there are many new ornaments and advancements to our Christmas trees, such as garlands, baubles, tinsel, candy canes, and a star or angel placed at the very top of the tree in representation of the angel Gabriel or the star of Bethlehem. The Christmas tree has been historically known to be a custom of the Lutheran churches until 1982, when the Catholic churches decided to participate in this Christmas tree tradition as well. Now, the Christmas tree is a modern-day Christmas tradition that is widely known throughout the Christian world.

Spanish - By Eliana Unger