students are back in the building!!On Thursday, June 4 Morris School welcomed our students back. Due to the current public health recommendations, the welcome back was limited to two students per class in approximately 33% of the classes in the school. It was a start. and from all accounts, the 45-minute to 1 hour visits were positive and productive. The focus for our teachers and their students varied, depending on each student's experience during remote learning. Our goal is to ensure that every student is invited back into the school at least once before the end of June. Due to the lack of busing and the length of each appointment, an invitation to meet with a teacher is an optional one with families. Please simply communicate a "yes" or a "no" to the staff member when they reach out and invite your student(s) to the school. June 15-19 Sign up schedule postedThe next round of school visits are open and ready to be filled. Parents are asked to log into their Conference Manager account and book an appointment with their current teacher (K-8) or a teacher of a course where you would appreciate some time for you to ask questions or complete an assignment with them (9-12). You can access Conference Manager by clicking here. This is the same software we use to book parent-teacher & Strong Beginnings appointments. If you do not have an account, you can easily register for one and then book an appointment for your student(s). Due to the success of taking in two students for appointments, the school has decided to expand the classroom capacity to a maximum of four (4) students per booking. Appointments are between 45-minutes to one (1) hour. In this next round of meetings, our K-6 students will find out who their teachers will be for the 2020-21 school year. A third round of meetings can be booked with your student's 2020-21 teacher during the week of June 22-25. Sign up for those appointments will open up mid to late next week (June 15-19). Entrance/Exit Door Locations Kindergarten (Mrs. Roberge): Main School Doors 1/2 Blanchette: East Doors - Closest to Playground 1/2 Martens: Grade 5/6 Doors - Middle of the Early Years Wing 1/2 Yeats/Bially: East Doors - Closest to the Playground 3/4 Edel: East Doors - Closest to the Playground 3/4 Johnston: Grade 5/6 Doors - Middle of the Early Years Wing 5/6 Moore: Grade 5/6 Doors - Middle of the Early Years Wing 5/6 Petty: Main School Doors 5/6 Willems: Main School Doors 7/8 Cory: Vocational Doors (south side of the school - between Vocational Shop & School) 7/8 Lucier: Vocational Doors (south side of the school - between Vocational Shop & School) 7/8 Stevenson: Bus Loop Doors Ms. Demond: Bus Loop Doors Mr. Ricard: Bus Loop Doors Other Senior Years' Teachers: Main School Doors Chloe Edel's contribution to our blog!Social justice in the minds of our youth!One of our talented Morris Students, Chloe Wesley, is a talented student, artist, as well as a champion of social justice. She composed a blog entry (she didn't really know it would be a blog entry...it was an email to Mr. Watson that is turning into a blog entry). Chloe's challenge to us is to educate ourselves, to gain an appreciation and understanding of some of the most current events happening to people in our communities. There are a number of great resources available for all ages that can be used to educate ourselves and others. Chloe's hope if for everybody to be very mindful and educated about these topics. Black Lives Matter: https://blacklivesmatter.com/ MMIW: https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/ MMIW / BLM GoFundMe: https://gf.me/u/x6zfji MANSO Anti-Racism Campaign: https://mansomanitoba.ca/anti-racism-campaign-manitobans-covid-19-doesnt-discriminate-nor-should-you/ LINKS FOR PETITIONS / OTHER DONATIONS NATIVE ADDICTIONS SOURCES: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/native-addictions-services/?utm_expid=.Basg8QZUTfG1KiOq9U3nAA.0&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canadahelps.org%2Fen%2Fexplore%2Fcharities%2Fcategory%2Findigenous-peoples%2F NATIVE WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION OF CANADA: https://www.nwac.ca IT STARTS WITH US / MMIW: http://itstartswithus-mmiw.com MCC MMIW https://mcccanada.ca/learn/more/missing-murdered-indigenous-women-mmiw BLACK VISIONS COLLECTIVE https://www.blackvisionsmn.org NORTH STAR HEALTH COLLECTIVE https://www.northstarhealthcollective.org BROOKLYN COMMUNITY BAIL FUND https://brooklynbailfund.org WOMEN FOR POLITICAL CHANGE https://www.womenforpoliticalchange.org MINNESOTA FREEDOM FUND https://minnesotafreedomfund.org JUSTICE FOR BREONNA TAYLOR PETITION http://chng.it/MTp2R4R7JC JUSTICE FOR AHMAUD ARBERY - PASS GEORGIA HATE CRIME BILL PETITION http://chng.it/9F9wSfMGXp JUSTICE FOR AHMAUD ARBERY PETITION https://www.change.org/p/liberty-county-distric-attorney-justice-for-ahmaud-arbery?signed=true FUNERAL FOR 16 YEAR OLD ALAJUNAYE DAVIS https://www.gofundme.com/f/rke75-funeral-arrangements?utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet&utm_medium=copy_link-tip A visit to our Grads!Some members of our school staff were able to venture out and deliver some Graduation information and a small gift to the members of our Class of 2020. Thanks to the Red River Valley School Division, our graduates were gifted a lawn sign recognizing their accomplishments despite some challenges faced by our students. Congratulations to all. We look forward to seeing you during your Grad Photo & Individual Convocation Sessions. Textbook, instrument, & tech returnsAs the year winds down, we would ask students who have any textbooks, outstanding library books, band instruments, or technology (laptops, power cords, or MiFi devices) to drop them off to the school before Wednesday, June 24. The school is open from 8 - 4 pm every weekday, so please do your best to get them back to the school before the end of the year. If you have any questions or will find it difficult to return any items, please contact the school. Attention current Grade 6 & 7 studentsAs this school year rapidly draws to a close we are looking ahead to the 2020-2021 school year. Understanding that, a letter was sent out via email to all students with the attempt to have you select your elective courses for the next school year. Those who do not hand in their option forms will have their elective courses selected for them. Please contact the school or deliver your form prior to Monday, June 22. If you have questions, please call the office. Morris School's Phase 2 OpeningAs per update sent by Mr. Curtis, Red River Valley School Division Superintendent, our teachers will be in the building this week preparing and delivering remote learning as well as hosting students by invitation. Our school community will continue to deliver new remote learning until Friday, June 12. Teachers will also be extending invitations to students into the school, ensuring we follow the health and safety recommendations set out by the province. Between June 15 and 25 our school will focus on assisting those who have experienced difficulties with the remote learning process as well as assisting students with some initial transitioning to their next school year. Every student will be contacted with the purpose of inviting them back to the school to meet with their teacher(s). We have set up a schedule from June 4 to June 12 that allows students to visit their teachers. A second schedule will be set up from June 15 to 25. When a staff member invites a Morris School student into the school, it's important to understand a few things:
From a teacher perspective, our next two weeks look like this: Monday & Tuesday - staff reporting to Morris School for meetings and to continue delivering remote learning. Staff will also be connecting with families to book appointments for visits to the school later in the week. Wednesday - Remote Learning & contacting students to book appointments Thursday, June 4 until Friday, June 12 - Teachers will be hosting students on a rotational basis to meet physical distancing and other public safety guidelines. We will also continue to deliver remote learning and contacting students to book appointments. If you have any questions, please contact the school. We appreciate everyone's flexibility & patience as we navigate through these unprecedented times. Class of 2020 - graduation newsThe School Grad Committee has been working super hard to find a way to make Graduation a special and memorable time for you and your families this year during class suspensions. We are all very excited to announce that we WILL be hosting an in-person individual convocation ceremony for every grad!!! Convocation will be held in our school gym for grads and their families (limited number) with staff being able to attend virtually (and some in-person). All procedures for this must and will follow the Public Health requirements. To accommodate the requirements, convocation will be held over THREE days, June 24, 25, & 26 to provide for social distancing and cleanings. You must arrive and exit at the times that will be provided to you to make this work for everyone. Plans are in the making to provide a live stream of the event for your friends and family who cannot attend. We will also provide a photo area outside (weather permitting) prior to your scheduled time to enter the school as well as an indoor photo session that will be timed. Grad Photos also had to be adjusted due to Public Health requirements. Grad photos will now happen over TWO days and will now be held on June 18 & 19 in the gym. There will be an online sign up and payment for the sitting fee is encouraged online as well. If you prefer in person, a tap card is best. Grads will receive their caps, gowns and V-stoles on Grad Photo day for pictures and will keep them until their convocation is completed the following week. They must arrive at the school on their convocation day in their cap and gown/ V-stole and return the gown and V-stole only after the ceremony. Detailed info about designated parking, entrance screening and info, online bookings, times and a scheduled outline of what to do for Grad Photos and Convocation will be delivered in several ways. Teachers will be delivering INFO packages to homes next week AND we will also be posting it on our website Monday/Tuesday, June 1 & 2nd. We will also be reaching out to our Prom/Decorating parent/student committee. IF you have questions after you receive the information, you may certainly contact me or any member of the Teacher Grad Committee. Please know that all plans are based on present Public Health requirements and are subject to change.Let's keep our fingers crossed MB stays on the right curve with Covid 19! Grads, do not forget to get ALL your coursework needed into your teachers for your credits!!! Again, we are so excited to be able to provide the Class of 2020 and their families with a special celebration. See you all soon! Corinna Derewianchuk & the Grad Committee student leadership continues to challenge!Our Morris School Leadership Group continues with their Challenges through the Month of June. This week the challenge set out to our students is to post their favourite photos and videos of our students playing sports. If you don't have those photos, please consider posting photos or videos doing something athletic. Be sure to tag @mav_spirit in your Instagram post. If students don't have their own Instagram accounts, parents can use their accounts to post the photos.
We thank the Leadership Group for these great challenges. We also thank those students and families who have participated and accepted the challenges. |
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