Three Mavericks travelled to Thompson this past week as part of the 'South' contingent to compete in the 2026 Manitoba Winter Games. Kaydence Ewbank and Emma Peters were members of the bronze-winning South Team #2, and Emma Knelsen was part of the silver-winning South Team in wrestling. Congratulations to these three Mavericks! 

Ready for Next Year? Let’s Get Your Courses Locked In!

Hello, students!

It’s hard to believe, but it is already time to start dreaming about the 2026/2027 school year. Whether you're just starting high school or preparing for your final year, the first step to building your perfect schedule starts with PowerSchool.
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To make sure you get the classes you want, you’ll need to be proactive. Here is the schedule for when you can start picking your future:

Course Selection Roadmap - We are rolling out access in two phases. Check below to see when your window opens:

Current Grade            Entering Grade         Status
Grades 8 & 11             Grades 9 & 12            OPEN NOW! 
Grades 9 & 10             Grades 10 & 11          Starts next Wednesday 

Important: Web Browser Required. Please note that you cannot complete course selection through the PowerSchool mobile app. To submit your requests, you must log in via a web browser (like Chrome, Safari, or Edge) on a laptop, desktop, or tablet.
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Your Pre-Selection Checklist:

• Test Your Login: Head to the PowerSchool website today to make sure you can get in.
• Desktop View: If you are using a phone, make sure you are using the browser app, not the PowerSchool app!
• Don't Wait: Verify your credentials now so you aren't stuck when your window opens.

 Need a Hand? If you’ve forgotten your password or are hitting a technical snag, don't panic!
Contact: Reach out to Ms. Denny at [email protected] for assistance with login resets.
Let’s get those schedules set up for success. Happy planning!

This week, our grade 7-10 students had the opportunity to attend presentations by the RCMP’s Internet Child Exploitation (ICE) Unit. Students learned about online safety, with a focus on prevention. The presenters shared that if students have concerns about a photo or video of them (or others) that has been shared online, they have several options. They can:

• Talk to someone on the phone anonymously - Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868)
• Tell someone they trust - such as their parents, a teacher, a police officer, or a counsellor
• Report the photo to CyberTip.ca

Parents and caregivers interested in learning more about online safety can attend a virtual session (the previous two words are also a link) offered through the Canadian Centre for Child Protection on April 15.

Let's hope you actually read the blog that we email you directly each week of your ENTIRE. SCHOOL. CAREER!

With semester 2 in full swing, we are now more than halfway through our school year. Some of our courses and sports have wrapped up, but there are still outstanding fees for them, which means that they are now considered overdue accounts.

Please check your child(ren)'s SchoolCash Online accounts and resolve those accounts. If fees are not paid, it will affect the future of running some of these programs and may also affect your child(ren) 's ability to join some of these activities. For those of you who have already taken care of these accounts, thank you!

​If you need assistance with SchoolCash online, please contact Ms. Driedger in the office; she would be happy to help resolve your account or set up a payment arrangement.

Our Grade 3 and 4 students recently put their engineering skills to the test during a hands-on science challenge!
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Following specific design criteria, students created bobsleds and then raced them to see which was the fastest and most structurally strong. It was a fun way to explore materials, structures, and forces in motion!

An exciting afternoon of hair-lifting activities, pitting each high school grade against one another happend on Thursday in the Senior Years' Gym. 

The LAST grade 7-12 band trip fundraiser has begun! Students are selling boxed card sets and the forms and money are due on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. The cost of each box of 40 cards is $35, and profits are 50% (so $17.50 earned for every box sold), and all funds go towards each individual student/seller’s band trip fees. Pickup will be in April and details will be communicated here on the blog. There is a sample box of cards that anyone can come and see in the band room. The order forms are not available online or to be printed, but can be picked up from any band trip student or the band room bulletin board.

Please contact [email protected] if you have any questions!

Morris School alum, Roy Tambal Musa, competed this weekend with his University of Manitoba Track and Field team at the 2025-26 USports National Championships in Winnipeg. Roy was a member of both the national USports Champion Bison 4x200-meter relay and the bronze medal-winning 4x400-meter relay teams. We congratulate Roy and his Bison teammates on their high-level performances over this past weekend in Winnipeg. 

Students in Mr. Moore's 5/6 class have been learning about electricity. On Thursday afternoon, they presented to the 3/4 classes to teach them about electrical safety. They demonstrated through role play and posters. Be safe around electricity!

Every Wednesday evening, the Morris School Gym comes alive with the sound of bouncing basketballs, encouragement from coaches, and the excitement of young athletes eager to learn.

Morris Youth Basketball Training is a community program designed for kids ages 6 to 15 who want to learn the game, improve their skills, and enjoy time on the court. Players of all experience levels are welcome, whether they are just learning how to dribble or already working on more advanced moves.

Guiding the sessions is a dedicated group of coaches, including Rae Naje, Jerald Calisporo, Ron Afurong, and Lester Pinero. Together, they focus on helping young players develop strong fundamentals while building confidence and a love for the game. Each session gives kids the chance to practice key skills like dribbling, passing, shooting, and teamwork in a supportive and encouraging environment.

Training typically runs every Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., depending on gym availability. One of the best parts of the program is how simple it is to join. There is no formal registration required. Young players can simply show up ready to learn, work hard, and be a great teammate.

Programs like this play an important role in bringing the community together. They create opportunities for young athletes to stay active, develop new skills, and connect with others who share the same passion for basketball.
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A big thank you goes out to the coaches who volunteer their time and energy to help develop the next generation of players. Their commitment is making a real difference, one practice at a time. 

Due to the storm days and bad roads, our I Love to Read guests spilled over into March this week, with our favourite people from Bigway Foods - Pat and Melissa - coming to read to the Kindergarten classes. The Kindergarten students enjoyed treats from Bigway, plus the special "I Love to Read" cookies baked by our own Ms. Cindy Smith for all students from K to 6.  Everyone enjoyed her cookies throughout February.

The fishing club students were putting in work this week! Over the course of 3 meetings, the fishing club practiced knot tying, adjusted rods & reels, and even practiced some indoor jigging, all to prepare themselves for this week's MHSAA PROVINCIAL ICE FISHING CHAMPIONSHIP on Tuesday, March 10. 
Mavericks are taking 11 anglers to this event, in hopes of capturing the ‘A’ category banner, along with some awesome prizes! 

​Results will be shared in next week's blog! 

Our Grade 3–4 students had a wonderful time at Festival du Voyageur! At Fort Gibraltar, they learned about blacksmiths, canoe building, wood carving, and life in the fur trade era.
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Two big highlights were playing in the winterers’ playground and tasting fresh maple taffy on the snow. It was a fun day of learning, laughter, and making meaningful connections to Manitoba’s history.

On Friday, February 13th, the Morris Alt class enjoyed some fresh air and sunshine while exploring the world's largest snow maze in St Adolphe. The highlight of the day was the snow tubing, which provided thrills and laughter for both students and staff alike. The day was topped off with a round of blizzards from Dairy Queen in Niverville. A great time was had by all! ​

Over the past month, our K–2 classrooms have been buzzing with excitement thanks to a new set of learning companions: Talebots.

These small but mighty robots have opened the door to early coding and problem-solving in ways that feel natural and playful. Students learned to give clear, step-by-step directions, think ahead, and adjust their plans when things did not go as expected. They quickly discovered that even the tiniest detail can change the outcome, which led to thoughtful conversations and lots of “Let’s try that again!” moments.

The learning went well beyond technology skills. As students worked in pairs and small groups, they practiced taking turns, listening carefully, and building on one another’s ideas. There were moments of patience, moments of persistence, and plenty of high-fives when a plan came together. Watching students encourage classmates and celebrate each other’s successes was just as rewarding as seeing a robot reach its destination.

Most of all, there was joy. Classrooms were filled with laughter, curiosity, and genuine enthusiasm. The Talebots sparked creativity and confidence, showing our youngest learners that they are more than capable of thinking like coders and problem-solvers.
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It has been a memorable month of exploration, teamwork, and hands-on learning. We are excited to see where these tiny robots take us next.

On behalf of the school and the families who attended the Family Reading Night, the blog staff would like to extend our gratitude to Mrs. Siemens and her crew of staff volunteers who helped set up and execute the first Family Reading Night in our school's history. We appreciate the time and effort. 

We all know it "takes a village," and at Morris School, that village is what keeps our sports teams moving and our students cheering. Whether it's driving a van full of excited athletes to an away game or helping out behind the scenes, our volunteers are the secret ingredient to a great school year.

To make sure everyone is safe and ready to roll, we have a few simple "plays" to follow for divisional policy:

The Game Plan: Your Paperwork Checklist. All volunteer paperwork is valid for three years, so once you're cleared, you're set for a while!

1. The Declaration Form: Everyone needs to fill this out first. You can find it in the PAC section of our website here: morris.rrvsd.ca/our_school/volunteer.
2. Unsupervised Volunteering: If you’ll be working one-on-one or unsupervised with students, you’ll need a Criminal Record Check and a Child Abuse Registry Check.
   • Child Abuse Check: Forms are available on the website link above.
   • Criminal Record Check: These are done at your local RCMP station. Pro Tip: Contact the school office first for a "Volunteer Letter" to have your fees waived!
3. Driving Students: If you’re helping transport our athletes to games, please also complete the Driver Declaration form found on the website.

Submitting Your Forms: Once you’ve gathered your documents, just drop them off at the front office. We’ll take it from there!

Why Join Us? Beyond the paperwork, volunteering is about the memories. There’s nothing quite like the energy of a post-game car ride or the pride of helping our teams compete. You get to see your child grow, meet other fantastic parents, and truly be a part of the school’s heartbeat.

Let’s get our students to the finish line together!

Basketball
Our Varsity Boys saw their season come to an end with a close loss to Prairie Mountain in the Zone Semi-Final on Monday night. Our 7/8 athletes head into playoffs this week, with the Girls heading to Rosenort on Tuesday, while the Boys host their semi-final game here in Morris on Tuesday at 4pm.

Hockey
​The Mavs travelled to Carberry for Provincials this weekend. They finished second in round robin play to earn a spot in the Semi-Final. They lost a close one to their rivals from Carman and played for Bronze on Saturday against Glenboro/Carberry, losing another tight one, 3-2. 

The Mavs continue with their quest for a Zone IV title this week as they compete in the Zone final against Morden. Game 1 is Thursday, March 5th, in Morden (7:30pm), Game 2 will be in Morris, Friday, March 6, at 7:30 (Game 3, if necessary, will be Monday, March 9, in Morden). All Morris School students can get into Friday's game for free, so let's pack the Multiplex with MAVs fans!

Rugby
Just a reminder that Rugby pre-season begins this Tuesday, from 3:45 - 5:45 in the Senior Years gym. Practices will continue every Tuesday and Thursday at the same time, with workouts on Fridays at the multiplex. If you have any questions, see Mr. Antoski or check the Mavericks' Rugby Google Classroom.

Last Thursday, the big gym was full of energy as Mrs. Roberge’s Grade 1/2 class teamed up with Mrs. Kurylko’s Grade 9 Physical Education class for a special morning of movement and connection.
The Grade 9 students took the lead, planning and teaching two different games for their younger buddies. From explaining the rules to demonstrating the activities, they stepped confidently into the role of coaches and mentors. It was impressive to see the care they took to ensure everyone understood and felt included.

For the Grade 1/2 students, it was a chance to try something new alongside some very supportive role models. There were plenty of smiles, encouragement, and laughter as both classes jumped in and played together. The gym was filled with teamwork, positive energy, and a whole lot of fun.
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Experiences like this remind us how powerful cross-grade connections can be. Our younger students gain confidence, and our older students build leadership skills that go far beyond the gym walls.
Both classes left asking the same question: “When do we get to do this again?” Thankfully, they will not have to wait long. Plans are already in place for another session next month.

This week in Grade 10 ELA, we read “Lee Sherman and the Toxic Louisiana Bayou” as part of our unit, People and the Environment. Prior to reading the article, students were asked to answer this question after reading: Was Lee Sherman a hero, a victim, a villain, or something in between?

Below are two entries with a comprehensive summary and an answer to the big question.

Lee Sherman: From Victim To Hero - By Andrew Hildebrandt -
The article we read in class, Lee Sherman and the Toxic Louisiana Bayou, is an interview between the author, Arlie Hochschild, and Lee Sherman, an ex-employee of PPG (Pittsburgh Plate Glass, now PPG Industries Inc). The story, told by Lee Sherman, happened several decades ago, and he talks of his experiences at PPG. Lee Sherman was not given easy tasks; he had worked as a pipefitter for PPG and usually had to handle dangerous and toxic chemicals. One day, as Lee was doing pipe maintenance on a pipe filter, a careless operator turned a knob, which released hot liquid chlorinated hydrocarbons through the pipe, which drenched Lee.

Although he did immediately go into the safety shower, all of his clothes were burned off. After this accident, Lee was forced to work overtime and dump all of the hydrocarbons into the Bayou D’Inde, and had to do it at dusk so nobody could see him. Eventually, Lee became really sick from the jobs given, and was forced by a company doctor to take an eight-month medical leave. Lee Sherman rested and eventually recovered, but when he returned, he was fired for “absenteeism.” Eventually, laws were passed which limited the amount of local fish people could eat, which was a big hit to the fishing industry, and shortly after, Lee Sherman exposed what they had done, as he really had no more to lose. The fishermen sued PPG, but only won a small amount of $12,000 per fisherman.

Throughout the story, Lee Sherman goes from being the victim to the hero. He was forced to do dangerous tasks, work in an unsafe facility, and do illegal activities so that he would not lose his only source of income. Lee could not expose the company either, despite knowing what he was doing was really wrong, so he had to just live with it. “I knew what I did was wrong. Toxins are a killer. And I’m very sorry I did it,” Lee had stated when talking about dumping the chemicals into the Bayou (Hochschild, 4). The quote shows that he knew he was doing wrong and felt extreme remorse. The fumes from the chemicals alone incapacitated and nearly killed a bird flying above, “It was like he’d been shot (Hochschild, 3). Eventually, Lee Sherman became ill from the chemicals. On page 4, it states that Lee Sherman was told to be put on medical leave by the company doctor and was instructed to rest at home until he could do a deep knee bend.

After a long eight months, Lee returned to PPG, only to be faced with a termination committee. “They didn’t want to pay for my medical disability, so they fired me for absenteeism. They said I hadn’t worked enough hours! They didn’t count my overtime. They didn’t discount the time I took off for Army Reserve duty. So that’s what I got fired for - absenteeism,” Lee had said (Hochschild, 4). Eventually, there was a limit that was put on the amount of local caught fish that could be consumed. This jeopardized the livelihoods of several people in the fishing industry, so they started to revolt. Lee Sherman admitted his guilt, but also exposed the company and told them how he was forced to do it by the company, so they sued PPG. Unfortunately, they only got compensation of $12,000 per fisherman, so not a lot. In the end, Lee Sherman went from the oppressed victim of the story to the hero and helped to save the environment.
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Summary of Lee Sherman - By Dakota Koop
In class, we read “Lee Sherman and the Toxic Louisiana Bayou” by Arlie Hochschild. Arlie interview. Lee, several years after he retired from his job at PPG (Pittsburgh Plate Glass), a company that didn’t do good things. As you read more about it, you’ll learn that PPG didn’t care about its employees or the environment. Lee was the pipefitter for PPG. He explained that you had to be fearless and careful because the pipes are filled with lethal chemicals. Later in the interview, he started talking about how PPG treated their employees, and their attitude toward their employees was careless; they didn’t give them any warnings about the dangers of the job or proper gear to handle hazardous chemicals. Lee explained how an accident happened to him. He was leaning over a large pipe to check a fitter, but then the operator in a control room mistakenly turned a knob and sent hot liquid chlorinated hydrocarbons, which soaked him. He jumped into the safety shower, but the chemical ate all his clothes off and burned his skin a bit.
Lee became an ardent environmentalist. He worked for PPG for 15 years. In the late 1960’s, after his acid bath, PPG asked him to take on another ambitious job. It has to be done after dusk, twice a day, and it has to be top secret. He had to move a tar buggy with toxic chemicals inside. He had to move it to the Calcasieu ship channel and, when no one was watching, dump it into the water.

          Later on, Lee had grown ill from his exposure to the chemicals. He said, “My feet felt like clubs, and I couldn't move my legs”. The company doctor made him take medical leave for eight months, and then he returned to work, but not for long. When he got back to work, PPG fired him for absenteeism, saying, “You didn’t work enough hours.”

          Seven years later, Lee had been to a meeting about an enormous fish killed in the bayou d'Inde.  It was where Lee had dumped the chemicals into the water. The state commanded “ no more than two meals with locally caught fish a month, no swimming, water sports, or contact with bottom sediments”. The fishermen were upset because their livelihood was at risk.

          In 1987, other industries had been polluting Louisiana. It had been the worst hazardous waste producer in the nation. The US congress had established the environment protection agency (1970), Clean Air Act (1970), and a Clean Water Act (1972). There was a public meeting and it was packed. A row of company officials, including two from PPG. The meet went for 20 to 30 minutes. Then Lee had a cardboard sign up that said and read “ I'm the one who dumped it into the Bayou”. The room went silent. Lee said “ I only talked for 36 minutes”. The fisherman knew who contaminated the fish. Then they filed a civil lawsuit against PPG and won an out-of-court settlement, and gave a mere $12,000 to each fisherman. 

         I think that Lee Sherman is a hero, because even though he knew what he did wrong “ I knew what I did was wrong. Toxins are a killer. And I'm very sorry I did it. My mama would not have wanted me to do it”. But he did say that what he did to a bunch of angry fishermen hurt their livelihood. “I'm the one who dumped it into the Bayou”, and it takes a very strong person to emit that to one person, never mind a room full of people. That is why I think Lee Sherman is a hero.

February has been an exciting and book-filled month across our K–4 classrooms as we celebrate I
Love to Read Month! Our K–4 students have been diving into stories, exploring new authors, sharing
favorite books with friends, and building their love of reading in so many creative ways.

One of the highlights this month has been our Picture Book Tournament! Students have been listening
carefully to each book, discussing their favorites, and casting their votes as the competition narrows
round by round.

This week’s vote featured two fantastic picture books: The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Drew
Daywalt and 50 Below Zero by Robert Munsch.

After much anticipation and enthusiastic discussion, the winner of this round is The Legend of Rock,
Paper, Scissors! Students loved the humour, dramatic battles, and bold characters. It was a close and
exciting vote!

We are now down to the final week of our tournament, and excitement is building as students eagerly
wait to see which book will take the title of Tournament Champion!

We encourage you to ask your child about which books they’ve enjoyed most, how they decide which
story to vote for, and their predictions for the final winner. Stay tuned to see which book wins it all—and
be sure to ask your K–4 student all about it!

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​Pink Shirt Day is on Wednesday, February 25. Wear pink to show that bullying is not tolerated and to promote kindness, inclusion, and respect

​Congratulations to all students who participated in the annual Entertainment & Dessert Night Fundraiser on February 12. It was an evening full of incredible talent, delicious dessert, and big smiles. Thank you to the staff, students, and families that helped make this band program fundraiser such a huge success!

During tough times, such as a devastating defeat in a gold medal game, writing can help relieve stress and regulate one’s emotions. Here at the Fountain Pen, we are strong advocates for writing. This week’s edition features a reflection upon previous mistakes and a wonderful glimpse into lake life during the summertime.

Grade 9 ELA - By Hayden Tanchuk - A Time I Learned a Valuable Lesson
A time I learned a valuable lesson was around 2-3 years ago, so I would’ve been 12 years old. I was riding my bike around where I live in St. Jean Baptiste. Whenever I ride my bike, I never wear a helmet. So while I was biking, I saw a tree branch hanging in front of me, and for some reason, I felt very tempted to grab onto that branch. When I did, I flipped over my bike, and my bike rode over my leg. It was heading straight for the street as a car was about to pass. There was a car parked in front of the driver and my bike, so they wouldn’t have seen my bike until it was right there. I stood up and ran towards my bike, and was relieved I was able to get it in time. I scratched up my hand from grabbing the branch and supporting my fall, but it wasn’t that bad; and luckily, I didn’t hit my head either. Well, at least not hard. The valuable lesson I learned during this event was to not grab stationary objects while biking, as it can be fatal.


Grade 10 ELA - By Kyra Fillion -Outstanding Outdoors 
My favorite place to be outdoors is my grandparents' cabin. Located in Moose Lake, which is near Buffalo Point. Moose Lake is a small lake surrounded by many cabins. My grandparents' cabin is located on the west side, where we have a beautiful lakefront view. I have grown up spending a good amount of my time at the cabin, which is one of the reasons this is my favorite spot outdoors. 

Arriving late on a Friday night to see the calm, glassy waters, overlooked by the prettiest sunset in the distance, will be a feeling I will never forget. The early mornings starting our day off with just a singular piece of toast. Looking out the big window to see the vast number of boats on the water. Whether it's an early morning fish or tube ride, taking in the calm waters. My days mostly consist of an early morning paddleboard ride with my brother, which ends up being a swim when he decides it's a good idea to push me in. After a long morning, stepping into the cabin to the scent of fresh home aid soup my grandma had prepared for the family, and stuff to make yourself a sandwich layed out on the table. Once everyone had scarfed down their delicious lunch is prime nap time for my family. The overly full stomachs causing everyone to crash on the coach, watching an NHL game or a terrible movie my grandpa had put on. The evening is where we have the most fun. We start with a nice family dinner followed by our final swim of the day, where we wash up and watch the sunset. To end our night after a long day, we like to play some board games. One of our favorites being sequence where my grandpa likes to cheat and try his best to win every game, then leading to a movie where everyone slowly starts to disappear into their rooms. 

My favorite memory will forever be the August long weekends. Where my whole family comes together and celebrates a family reunion. The cabin, along with the he shed, the she shed, and even a camper in the driveway are full of family members of all ages. The weekend is full of laughs, stories around the bonfire, and many hours spent on the dock in the water, enjoying tubing, paddle boring and swimming. This weekend started with an annual laterball tournament, which has now turned into so much more. Sundays have always been my favorite, the whole day is spent playing games like bucket golf, laderball, topped off with a huge water balloon fight where we like to target my grandpa.

The cabin will always be my favorite outdoor spot. I have made countless memories and learned many lessons here during all seasons. I can't wait for what is yet to come and enjoy the traditions we’ve already created, but I'm also excited to introduce new ones as the years pass and our family grows.   

Online Registration Link ---> https://rb.gy/3nfoel

Calling all Grade 5–8 students — this is your moment.

On February 27, we’re celebrating the best part of the middle years with a lunchtime packed full of energy, laughter, and just the right amount of chaos. If you’ve ever wanted to dive into an epic game of Orangutan Ball or test your courage by running the Dodgeball Gauntlet, this is your official invitation.

​Interested? Talk to Mr. Petty

Basketball
The Varsity Boys travelled to Green Valley for their final tournament of the year. They battled three tough opponents, losing to Edward Schreyer in the 7th place game. They now travel to Prairie Mountain on Monday for the Zone Semi Final. 

Our Grade 7/8s head to Starbuck (boys) and JA Cuddy (girls) on Tuesday for their final league games of the season. Playoffs get going on Thursday. 

Hockey 
The Mavs start their second round playoff series in Carman on Sunday at 3pm. Game 2 goes in Morris on Monday at 7:45 (game 3 date TBD). The Mavs also have qualified for Provincials next weekend in Carberry with a wildcard birth. You can follow along with scores and other information using the following link...

​https://www.mhsaa.ca/tournaments/view/9127/dairy-farmers-of-manitoba-provincial-aa-boys-hockey-championship/

High School Girls Flag Football and High School Badminton sign ups are posted outside the gym. 

By request, we have reopened the MAVs' Gear Online Store. The store is open, but will close March 1st, so get your order in ASAP. Estimated shipment date to the school will be 5 to 7 weeks after the closing date.

Follow this link to order --> https://teamstores.carberryinternational.com/Morris-Mavericks-Home-s/425.htm

Over the past two days, our Mavericks have had the privilege of welcoming some incredible guests who left a lasting impression on our students.

Canadian Curling Champion skip Kerri Einarson visited our Grade 7/8 students to share her story. She spoke honestly about discovering curling at a young age and how her love for the sport grew over time. Kerri didn’t just focus on her many accolades. She also talked about setbacks, big losses, and the resilience required to keep chasing an Olympic dream.

Students learned about the dedication it takes to compete at the highest level and the importance of being a good teammate and person first. Kerri emphasized that success is built through hard work, trust, and supporting those around you. She took time to answer student questions and wrapped up the visit by sharing her Scotties trophies and medals, giving students a rare and memorable opportunity to see them up close.

We were also excited to host Winnipeg Blue Bombers Pat Neufeld and Gabe Wallace, who visited our Grades 3–6 classrooms as part of I Love to Read Month. Pat and Gabe read with students, connected through stories, and shared their own experiences as professional athletes. Their visit highlighted the importance of literacy, role models, and giving back to the community.
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Each student walked away with a deeper understanding of who these athletes are and the dedication required to succeed in sport and in life. Our staff and students are truly grateful to Kerri, Pat, and Gabe for taking time out of their busy schedules to visit our school and share their experiences. Opportunities like these remind us of the power of learning when it’s rooted in real stories and meaningful connections.

Our Grade 5/6 intramural broomball season wrapped up with an exciting final game! After weeks of teamwork and friendly competition, the Snowy Snowballs swept their way to victory and claimed the championship title.

Congratulations to the Snowy Snowballs, and a big thank you to all students who participated and helped make this intramural activity a success! 
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Indoor Soccer starts Feb 23rd!!!!!

Save the Date – Middle Years Gym Activity!
Middle Years students are invited to a fun-filled gym activity on February 27th at 12:00 PM in the Senior Years Gym!

Get ready to play Orangutan Ball and take on the Dodgeball Gauntlet. Sign up in your classrooms. 

​See you there!!!

Booking Link -->  https://schedule.prestigeportraits.ca

Basketball
The Varsity girls had their best game of the season on Tuesday against Shevchenko, but fell just short. The Varsity boys were more successful, defeating the Sabres with a strong push in the 4th quarter. 

The JV boys travelled to Carman on Friday for their last tournament of the season. They faced a tough loss against Immanuel Christian and battled a close, exciting game against Green Valley! On Saturday morning, the Mavericks ended their season with a loss to MacGregor. Thank you for a fun season and a reminder to hand in your jerseys/shorts!

The 7/8's traveled to Rosenort this past Thursday. The Girls worked hard but fell to the Redhawks, while the Boys continued their undefeated season. This week, both teams travel to Oak Bluff on Wednesday.

Curling
The annual Red River Valley School Division bonspiel for grades 7 and 8 was played at the Morris Curling Club on Wednesday, June 11. There were thirteen teams competing, including Alexis, Anika, Greta and Rayah from Morris School. The girls played with skill and determination all day and earned 2nd in their pool to make the playoffs. However, they lost in an extra end, ending their day. Great job, Mavs! 

Hockey
The Mavs entered their first-round playoff series against the Mountain Mustangs this past weekend. They defeated the Mustangs 7-0 in the third and deciding game to move on to the second round. 

For the third straight year, Morris School will be entering a team into the Winnipeg Blue Bombers' High School Girls Flag Football League. This growing league will be as competitive as ever, with 40 teams entered to play from Monday to Thursday nights (10 teams per night). Our MAVS team will play one night per week and possibly practice as many as 2 days per week, with one of those practices during lunch hour.

The first league game in the six-week league is Monday, April 6th. Practices will begin soon, so interested and committed student-athletes should indicate their interest in playing to Mr. Cox, Ms. Epler, or sign up on the sheet posted on the bulletin board outside the Senior Years' Gym. 

Congratulations to this week’s I Love to Read prize winners! 
Well done, readers — we are so proud of your effort and enthusiasm. Keep up the great work and continue doing your best with the suggested activities in the February calendar.

Thanks to Mr. K and Mr. Wiebe for visiting this week! We appreciate you and your enthusiasm for our students and for reading. 

Guess who's back? Back again? Guess who's back, guess who's back, guess who's back? Hint: it's the Fountain Pen. This week's edition includes an ode to a friend and a thoughtful response to a philosophical question: what would happen if the internet disappeared? Enjoy!

Grade 9 ELA - By Kase Kuz - Who is a person you look up to or who inspires you?
The person who inspires me the most is Achilles Peirce Funk. He inspires me more than anyone because he’s basically me, but better. Achilles Funk is the definition of nonchalant; he’s the calmest and most collected in my entire friend group and always the voice of reason in the group.

Not only is Achilles Funk a natural-born leader, overflowing with nonchalance, but he’s also quite humble and charismatic. He’s so charismatic that I look up to him figuratively and literally. His humility is unmatched, and he constantly reminds everyone of it. 

In conclusion, Achilles is definitely nothing short of nonchalant, humble, charming and a leader. He is everything I can only dream about being one day. Achilles is not only a good friend but also a great role model and an inspirational figure. Achilles inspires me because he is the love of our friend group, and I don’t know where I’d be without him.

Grade 10 ELA - By Tessa Johnston - If the Internet Disappeared 
If the internet were to crash forever, the world would have to adjust to life without social media, specific apps, ChatGPT, and much more. Even though it would be a huge change for the internet to disappear, there could be some benefits. 

Without large social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, or Snapchat, I believe there would be a significant decrease in insecurity in the population. I don’t think we, as humans, were ever meant to be exposed to the excessive use and dependency of social media. Studies have shown that increased screen time links to major mental health problems like anxiety, depression, FOMO, body dysmorphia, etc. Having the internet disappear would decrease or even eliminate these leading causes of mental health issues. 

However, a major drawback of the internet crashing forever would be the loss of advertising and product promotion. All the ads you get on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube would disappear with the internet. This would lead to major inflation of regular products. Losing the internet would also affect the way we communicate with one another. Sending heartfelt text messages, sharing funny videos, leaving encouraging comments and hearts on a friend's post wouldn’t exist anymore. This could impact how many people we talk with on a daily basis, how often we talk with others, and how often we make new friends. Eventually, without proper communication, a person could become isolated from friends, family, and society. 

Overall, I feel society depends heavily upon the internet. If the internet truly crashed for eternity, I honestly don’t know how long we would survive. 

​A friendly reminder to all those Grade 5-12 students who leave things above their lockers...all items should not be left on lockers at the end of the day. All items are cleared daily by custodial staff. We would ask that you not leave things up there overnight or over the weekend. Thank you!

We are so excited to invite our families to an evening all about books, connection, and community! Our upcoming Family Reading Night will be a cozy, fun-filled event celebrating the joy of reading together.

To help us plan materials, space, and activities, we ask that all families please complete the Google Form:
https://forms.gle/ZZPuvZ6buwcgwTc17

Your response ensures we have enough supplies and seating for everyone to enjoy the evening comfortably.
We are looking forward to gathering as a school community and celebrating the power of reading together!

Hockey
The Mavs defeated Mountain 3-2 on Friday night before hosting Pembina on Saturday and travelling to Altona on Sunday for their final league games of the season. They currently occupy third place in the league standings with playoffs starting shortly.

Basketball
The JV Boys hosted RVS in their last league game of the season on Tuesday, losing a close one. The Varsity Boys had better luck, defeating the Raiders 88-66.

This weekend, the JV boys hosted their home tournament. They faced a difficult Green Valley and Shevchenko team on Friday night. On Saturday, the Mavericks faced RVS again and finished 6th in the tournament! The boys battled hard all weekend and learned a lot going into the Carman tournament next weekend. Reminder that there is practice at 3:30 on Wednesday.  

This week, the Varsity Girls and Boys travel to Shevchenko for the final league games on Tuesday. While the JV Boys travel to Carman for their final tournament next weekend.

The Grade 7/8 Girls had the week off while the boys went 2-0, defeating Heritage and St. Malo. Next week, the Girls host Oak Bluff on Monday, and both teams travel to Rosenort on Thursday.

Wrestling
Nine Mavericks wrestlers took to the mats on Saturday at the Pembina Valley Wrestling Club Tournament in Carman, MB, and every single one of them came home with a medal. It was a strong showing across the board and a great reflection of the work being done up in the mezz (wrestling room).

Leading the way were Logan Kurylko and Geraldo Buhler, who each earned gold medals after a series of confident and determined matches. Both wrestlers set the tone early and wrestled with poise throughout the day.
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A large group of Mavericks reached the finals and earned silver medals, including Harvey DeSchutter, Oliver Taylor, Isi Romano, Michael Shewchuk, and Emma Knelsen. For Oliver Taylor, the tournament was especially memorable, as it marked his first career wrestling win, a milestone earned through persistence and steady improvement. Isi Romano also had a day to remember, competing in his first-ever wrestling tournament and finishing with a silver medal.

Rounding out the medal count were Ian Wiebe and Adrian Shewchuk, who both earned bronze medals. For Ian Wiebe, the tournament marked his first competition, making his podium finish an impressive start to his wrestling journey, especially given that he was competing in the weight class with the most wrestlers. 

Beyond the medals, the weekend was filled with personal bests, learning moments, and solid wrestling in every weight class. From first-time competitors to seasoned athletes, the Mavericks showed grit, composure, and a willingness to compete hard from start to finish.

Mavericks wrestlers should be proud of their efforts and the way they represented themselves and their school on the mat.

Curling
Maverick Hoffman earned a 3rd-place finish at the CurlManitoba Provincial Hit, Draw, Tap championships. And met an Olympic gold medalist.

As a new chapter begins in The Fountain Pen, high school students continue to share fresh ideas, thoughtful reflections, and creative musings. We are grateful for the support from our readers during the first semester, and students in Grades 9 and 10 ELA look forward to continuing to grow and share their writing throughout the year.  

Grade 9 ELA - by Abigail Jashyn - What are you most looking forward to? 
In the near future, I am most looking forward to volleyball Canada nationals. Nationals is an event hosted from May 25  to 27, 2026, in Calgary, Alberta. Nationals is held at a giant convention center with at least 50 courts. 

There are about 15 pools, each with about 5 teams (from top to bottom). After you play everyone in your pool, you have the chance to move up a pool or down a pool, depending on how you did. After playing everyone in your pool and determining who moves up or down, you play for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place per pool. This means that, since there are 15 pools, there will be 15 teams with gold medals, 15 with silver medals, and 15 with bronze medals.

Last year, my team and I were playing in the gold medal game. It was game point for the other team (24-22). My teammate and I went up to block the ball; it clearly landed on the other team's side, so the ref obviously called it our point. After we went in to celebrate the ref looks at his watch, blows his whistle, and gives the other team the point. We were all a bit mad about that, so my teammate's dad (who was livestreaming the whole game) offered to show the ref the footage, but the ref refused. Even though we had a rough experience with that one ref, we still enjoyed ourselves.  

I especially look forward to travelling to Calgary this year for Nationals. I have a plan to take a quick trip to the mountains before nationals start. Since it starts on Monday, I hope to leave Manitoba by Thursday, have a day trip on Friday and Saturday, then hang out with my team on Sunday and start nationals on Monday. Volleyball Nationals are super fun because there is a theme day that every team participates in. Last year was pyjama day for 14u.  I also look forward to hanging out with my teammates and friends from other teams. 
I think nationals are such a cool experience because there are so many new teams and people. It is truly electric in the building!


Grade 10 ELA - by Sungwon Moon - TYPINGOne hobby of mine is typing. I’m not the best typist, but I’m interested in it. I’ve been typing for as long as I can remember, but until last year, I typed in my own style, averaging 100 WPM. And, my accuracy was iffy at best. I could range in speed from 60 to 120 WPM for every prompt. So, I made a big decision. In March of 2025, I started learning to touch-type and switched keyboard layouts.

Since I learned Dvorak last year, I’ve been practicing regularly. It sucked at first, but now I type around 90 wpm, reaching 120 sometimes, and I’m certainly more accurate and consistent. I often type in my free time; it’s somewhat fun and certainly engaging. I use typing in my daily life, whether it be coding, writing, or messaging, so it’s certainly a helpful skill. 

What I enjoy about typing is that I can just get right into it. It's active and engaging; it’s clearly in my control; and it gives rapid feedback based on my performance. In the future, I hope to get faster and continue to hone this skill. Maybe one day I’ll switch layout once again.

*Below are pictures of a typing test result and the Dvorak keyboard layout.

Link ---> ​https://www.fundingchange.ca/morris-school/aWqm8SJnHka7J5bA

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.