Diamond Jenness Secondary School 58 Woodland Drive Hay River, NTX0E 0R8 874-6538
Panther Tracks38
September 14, 2012
Dear Families and Friends of Diamond Jenness Secondary,
Good Friday Afternoon. We are off to a good start at Diamond Jenness Secondary after a one day delay due to construction. Things are looking very good and we will have a beautiful school when construction is complete. The end is getting closer each day. Thank you to all students, staff and community members for your support as we have worked through these changes over the past three years.
Start Up
This year we have had many changes, new administration, construction, and a new student information system. Staff has all worked very diligently to get students timetables sorted out as quickly as possible and they are the reason for such a smooth start to the year. We appreciate everyone’s patience and cooperation.
New to DJSS
We would like to welcome our new staff members to DJSS. Ms. N. Kamal has joined us as the senior science teacher and Mrs. Z. Yang is our new senior math teacher. As well we have a number of additional helpers who are gracing our halls and classrooms this year; they are Craig Edwards volunteering in music, Simran Lehal aFrontier’s Foundation Volunteer and Sara Beaudeta French Monitor. Thank you all for joining us in our educational endeavors.
Timetables
Monday, September 17, 2012 is the final date for course changes. Please report to Guidance if you need any changes.
Storefront
Any students who are registered in a course at storefront please confirm with Mr. Hill for course availability on Monday, September 17, 2012 or as soon as possible.
Soccer Tournament September 21-22, 2012
A reminder to all soccer players: your permission forms are to be returned to Ms. Webster as soon as possible. We need to know that you have parental permission to participate in this sport and to play in the tournament.
A reminder to all soccer parents: each team is responsible for bringing a food item. 99/98 Girls - fruit, 98/99 Boys - baked goods, 94-97 Girls - vegetables and 94-97 Boys - meat, cheese and crackers. These are to be delivered to the foods room (kitchen) on the morning of September 21st.
Volunteers are needed to work the kitchen and meal times for the soccer tournament. Contact Kelly Webster or Lorna Hill if you are able to volunteer.
Soccer players/parents: bringing the food item and working the kitchen count toward your fundraising and lowers the fee for future tournaments...
We have a wonderful redone floor in the gym. We would ask that everyone do their very best to have indoor runners to wear.
The Three Rs
Diamond Jenness Secondary has a tradition of commitment to the 3 Rs: Ready, Responsible and Respect. We expect all DJ students to come to school on time, prepared for school and ready to do their best; to be responsible in their actions; and to demonstrate respect for themselves, their peers, the staff, the school and the values of the community.
CAT – Math Assessment
Next week students in grades 8 -11 will be writing the Board wide CAT Mathematics Assessments. The assessments will be on different days for different grades and will be completed by Friday.
Dene Laws
Young girls and boys should behave respectfully.
Be respectful of elders and everything around you.
Homework Club
The Homework Club is already up and running everyday afterschool except for Fridays. It is for all DJ students, junior and senior alike. Students can find it located in the foods room where there will be food and snacks for students who bring work.
“Homework … helps you find the key to success.”
Statement on a poster in a classroom:
“Treat the Earth and all that dwell thereon with respect.”
In Closing
We are excited about the Stop Drop and Read time at DJSS. As I walked around the school during this time it was wonderful to see everyone reading in an attempt to raise literacy appreciation. Students were showing respect for themselves by doing this. On my first day travelling to Hay River I noticedthat the signs into town encouragedeveryone to read a book, and was pleased to see this was a value of the community. With this community direction we are pleased to do our part at Diamond Jenness Secondaryto support reading.
I was also impressed with how focused our students have been on their academics. They are working on attending all classes and arriving on time; two very important keys to success. Keep up the very good work everyone; let’s make this a great year.
Sincerely,
H Pedjase
Heather Pedjase
Principal