On The Trail - December, 2002 (Back to Publication Main Menu)

Index

Seasons Greetings!

With the approach of the Christmas season, I would like to extend best wishes to each of you, on behalf of our entire staff.

We have had a great fall at Mount Royal, one in which we continue to appreciate and recognize the many contributions of our staff and students. In October, at our Academic Awards Assembly we proudly honored our very best students. It was a pleasure to see so many parents, friends and relatives on hand to join us at this special event. Our MDA grade 10 students journeyed to Regina and Moose Jaw in late November for an extended learning opportunity. The trip featured the Museum of Natural History and the IMAX in Regina and the Tunnels of Moose Jaw. Students and staff enjoyed all aspects of the experience. Planning for the annual Grade nine MDA trip to Banff continues. These students look forward to this opportunity in May.

We have also been very busy in the Career Education field lately. Mrs. Puls coordinates these events for our students. All of our grade nine students enjoyed National "Take a student to Work" day on November 6. On that day, grade nine students from across Canada go to work with a family member. We would like to thank Nina Henry, our Community School Coordinator, who made some connections for those students not able to establish their own placements. We once again, utilized our partnership with the Nutana Rotary Club who helped us transport these students to their work place for the day. Interested Grade 11 and 12 students enjoyed Career Expo on Wednesday December 4. This event provides opportunities for students to attend sessions and learn about potential careers. Grade 10 students will take part in the "Economics of Staying in School" on December 11. This program is sponsored and staffed by Junior Achievement Saskatoon and takes students through a half-day workshop regarding the merits of staying in school. Thanks to Mrs. Puls for her efforts with all of these events.

Our athletic teams continue to represent our school well and we thank the many students, coaches and parents for contributing to the success of our programs. While it is important to note that successful programs can be measured in many ways, not solely victories, we would be remiss in not mentioning some of our great efforts this fall. Congratulations to Jesus Newsham who captured the City Championship in Midget boys Cross-Country. Well done to our Sr. Girls' Volleyball team who lost a hard fought semi-final match to eventual City and Provincial Champion Aden Bowman. Congrats also, to our Boys' Soccer team who were City Silver Medalists losing to Provincial Champion Evan Hardy in the final game. Finally, please congratulate our Sr. Boys' Volleyball team, and their coach, Mr. Isbister who captured the City Championships and went on to represent our school and our city at the Provincials in Nipawin. Kudo's to all of our athletes and coaches for a job well done.

Congratulations are also extended to all those involved in another outstanding Dinner Theatre. "Sparks in the Park" played to a sold out audience on December 6. The excellent meal and entertainment were well received. Well done. Our band and choral students have been very busy performing in elementary schools. They will be enjoying a day trip to Moose Jaw on December 10 and will perform in concert, here at the school, on Monday, December 16. We hope to see you there.

At Mount Royal we are fortunate to host two major tournaments each fall, "Mustang Volley" and "Royal Tip-Off Classic." We continue to be impressed with the outstanding organization of both tournaments. Thanks to Mr. Cote and Mr. Eng and the countless students and staff that volunteer their time to make these tournaments successful. Both are recognized as some of the very best tournaments in Western Canada. This is a real accomplishment for our school.

It is our wish that the holiday season provides all of you time to relax and opportunity to spend time with friends and family.

Have a great holiday and all the best for 2003

On behalf of the staff,

Basil Hughton
Principal

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Elementary School Visitations
Believe it or not it is time to start thinking about registration for the next school year. Visits to elementary schools will occupy the time of our counsellors and administrators during January. We will have the opportunity to showcase our school and programs at our Open House on Thursday, February 13, at 7:00 P.M. Please help us out by sharing our highlights with prospective students. We are always looking for new Mustangs.

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Senior Boys Volleyball
The Senior Boys Volleyball team capped off an exciting season on November 16th in Nipawain. The boys' team finished the regular season with a record of 10 wins and 0 losses. Their victories over Bedford Road, Evan Hardy and St. Josephs captured the City Championship. The team travelled to Nipawin to compete in the provincial finals. They finished 8th place out of 12 teams and represented the school with pride. This year's team consisted of the following players and managers: Kevin Weber, Cody Klaassen, Marcus Pahtayken, Desai Walkingbear, Daniel Kwok, Justin Bartsch, Tyrone Pahtayken, Kelly Mitsuing, Patrick Mitsuing, Calvin Klaassen, Josh Seib and manager, Chris Kwok.

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SENIOR FOOTBALL
The Senior Football Team was a very young group, starting many Grade 11 players. We missed the play-offs this year but we were very competitive, losing games that came down to the last minute. The team showed improvement throughout the year and we had some outstanding individuial performances. Jordan Marcotte was second in the league in rushing with 969 yards in seven games. Derrick Vasile led the league in receiving with 29 receptions for 443 yards. The team is looking forward to next year with most of the players returning from this year's team. We would also like to thank the students and parents for their support throughout the season.

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STUDENTS AGAINST DRINKING AND DRIVING

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MUSTANG VOLLEY
Mustang Volley was a huge success again this year. Aden Bowman captured the girls title while Winnipeg Westgate Mennonite captured the boys. The organizing committee did an excellent job and the student leaders and workers were outstanding. Many comments were received about how efficiently our students ran the tournament. Among the tremendously conscientious student leaders were: Ryan McEachern, Patrick Kurylyk, Tanner Lange, Byron Hnatuk, Michelle Stonehouse, Chris Graham, Justin Lavertu, Nikki Sanderson, Susan Truong, Chelsey Olson, Cat Domotar, Jennifer Stewart, Ashley Nelson, Courtney Juell, Jenni Mack, Kelly Fairbrother, and former student , Kara Marcal.
Allstar awards are as follows:
Boys' All-Star Team: Stephan Chelsom P.A. Carlton; Jim Guidinger, P.A. Carlton; Adam McTavish, Asquith; Adam Pearson, P.A. St. Mary; Ben Schellenberg, Winnipeg Westgates; Chris Simair, P.A. St. Mary; MVP: Nathan Toews, Winnipeg Westgate
Girls' All-Star Team: Danielle Brassard, P.A. St. Mary; Alexa Burton, Aden Bowman; Justine Chabot, Aden Bowman; Trisha Miazga, St. Joseph's; Tonya Mokelki, Weyburn; Kristi Senftner, Aden Bowman; MVP: Tara Cote, Aden Bowman
Girls Results: Gold: Aden Bowman 25-21, 25-22 over Weyburn. Bronze: St. Joe's over P.A. St. Mary 20-25, 25-9, 15-9.
Girls' Consolation Championship: St. Albert Ballerose over Tisdale 25-18, 25-18.
Boys' Results: Gold: Winnipeg Westgate over P.A. Carlton 17-25, 25-20, 15-13. Bronze: Asquith over P.A. St. Mary 25-14, 26-24.
Boy's Consolation Championship: Edmonton Arch Bishop MacDonald over LaLoche 25-13, 25-23.

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BAND/CHOIR NEWS
· Nov. 15th - Students participated in the University of Saskatchewan festival, Unifest Results - Band (Average Standing); Choir (Excellent Standing). Great job, both groups!
· Nov. 27th - Elementary School Tours Concerts. Band performs at Confederation Park and W.P. Bate (morning). Choir performs at Montgomery and James Alexander (afternoon).
· Dec. 6th - Dinner Theatre - Band/Choir performed new selections in the cafeteria.
· Dec. 10th - Band/Choir Trip to Moose Jaw for the day. Includes performances, clinic, tunnels tour, swimming at the Spa, Christmas shopping, great food and lots of fun!
· Dec. 16th - Band/Choir Christmas Concert featuring student groups, lots of Christmas repertoire and spirit. Come and sing along!

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DID YOU HEAR?
…. That NATHANIEL HUSULAK won Junior Provincial Champions in racquetball? Congrats!

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MATH CONTEST UPDATE
a) Three Mount Royal young mathematicians competed in the Canadian Open Mathematics Challenge on November 27th, 2002. Good luck to Huy Doan, David Harvey and Kevin Mach in this highly intensive National Math Contest. Results should be in in late January, 2003.
b) Forty-two Mount Royal students registered in the upcoming Pascal (Grade 9), Cayley (Grade 10), and Fermat (Grade 11) math contests. These contests will take place on Wednesday, February 26th, 2003. Practice sessions during the lunch hour are set to commence on Monday, January 13th. See Mr. Ouellet in room 221 for more details.

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SENIOR CHEERLEADING
The Mount Royal Senior Cheerleaders for the football season were: Megan Litterick, Jenn Knutsvik, Heidi Glow, Megan Ross, Katy Fletcher, Sarah Akiste, r Danielle Pingert, Kendra Johnsen, Kerilyn Walter, Chelsey Olson, Kaylee Hiebert, Jasmine Bottrell, Sarah Sperrin, Melissa Mick, Cheryl Currie, Amanda Woroschuk The team worked very hard and cheered on the Mustang team with a great deal of enthusiasm! The girls had a great time on their trip to North Battleford.
- coached by Mrs. Mason and Mrs. Hein

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THE LIFE SKILLS WORK STUDY PROGRAM

… would like to thank the following businesses for their participation in our Work Education Program: Canadian Tire (Automotive), Confederation Mall (Maintenance), Ens Toyota (Service Department), Travelodge Hotel (Maintenance), Superstore (Housewares), Habitat Restore, Market Mall (Maintenance), Parktown Hotel (Kitchen), Saskatoon Motor Products (Autobody), Saskatchewan Abilities Council , W.P. Bate School (Grade 1), YMCA (Maintenance) and YWCA (Daycare). Their contributions are greatly appreciated by staff and students.

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WRITER'S BLOCK
Any young writers out there who are interested in meeting to discuss their great ideas? We have a committed group of creative writers who are interested in forming a writing group to share poetry, short stories and ideas about life in general. If you enjoy creative writing and want to spend a lunch hour jammin' with words, see Mrs. Patola in room 102 and check out the informational posters in the halls.

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SASKATOON PUBLIC SCHOOL DIVISION STUDENTS NOW HAVE WORLD BOOK ONLINE HOME ACCESS!
The Central Resource Centre is pleased to announce the purchase of Worldbook Online Home Access for all Saskatoon Public School Division students. From their own home computers, students can now use the World Book Encyclopedia, dictionary, articles on news and views, and many more resources.

Here's how: at your web-browser type in: www.worldbookline.com. Press enter. The homepage should come up asking for your User I.D. and password: User I.D.: spsds; Password: learning; Click on Go. That's all it takes to have access to this excellent resource. Happy surfing! (To avoid having to log in each time, click on remember user ID and password and save the Worldbook Online website into your favories.)

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PARENT COUNCIL EXECUTIVE MRCI 2002-2003
President - Lynn Earle
Secretary - Denise Wood
Treasurer - Holly Layton
CAC Rep. - John Rosluk

The Parent Council meetings the first Wednesday of each month. It offers an opportunity to get to know Mount Royal, through presentations; discussion regarding school policy and practices, as well as information regarding curriculum and the multitude of activities and events in our school. It also provides another contact for parents to bring ideas and concerns forward.

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MUSTANG FEEDBAG!
Due to repairs being made this fall, the Mustang Feedbag did not open until November 18th. We offer various school supplies, physical education uniforms, sweatpants, sweatshirts and a variety of confections for any sweet tooth. We special order Bunnyhugs throughout the year. Drop into the store or call the school for details. The Mustang Feedbag is open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday at the break from 10:55 - 11:10 and at noon from 12:20 - 12:50 and Thursday at the break from 11:15 - 11:30 A.M.

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PROJECT GARDEN SHED
For the second year, Mount Royal Construction students have been matched up with a contractor (North Prairie Development) to build a garden shed of our design. The material is supplied by our contractor along with any expertise we need. The garden shed will be on display at the Home Show in the spring. Mr. McDonald is grateful to Mr. Neufeld's Girls Tech 10 Survey class for wiring the shed for lights and outlets.

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ROYAL WEST UPDATE
A successful debut of Royal West Campus has seen us expand. On October 25th, 2002 Royal West added another intake of students. We have called this second influx of students intersession. Students interested in attending Royal West in Semester 2 need to check in with Mrs. Binner in Student Services. There is limited space in some classes. Others are at capacity.

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COUNCELLOR'S CORNER

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STUDENT LOUNGE AREA IS COMING!
Students involved in the "Student Voices" group have been busy planning the construction of a student lounge in the cafeteria area. Woodworking students are building six futon couches, two coffee tables and four foot dividing walls which will set the area apart from the main cafeteria. A graffiti artist will be coming in to teach students how to do graffiti art on the divider walls. Students are selecting games and a tv for the area, and determining the general décor. They are also helping with the job description and selection of a new staff member who will work out of the student lounge area.
Anyone interested in helping to get the student lounge up and running by the beginning of Semester 2 can come to our meetings which are held every Monday over the noon hour in room 201. Everyone is welcome to bring ideas and help to make this a comfortable and relaxing place where students can come during spares to socialize with their friends.

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COMMUNITY SCHOOL FUNDS ENHANCE THE LEARNING PROGRAM
As a designated Community School, Mount Royal Collegiate receives funds to enhance the learning program and meet the needs of all students. Here are some of the ways we have used funds this year:

· Ms. Martin and senior grade art students have undertaken a wall mural project. Once completed, the 4'x8' wall murals will be hung throughout the school.
· The auto mechanics department has just purchased an old Ford Mustang. The car will be gutted, rebuilt by mechanics students and brought to extra-curricular sport activities and car shows. At some point the car will be raffled and the proceeds will be used to buy another old vehicle to restore. It's a great way to promote Mount Royal and display the talents of our students.

The Physical Education Department has developed a new intramural program. Over the noon hour, any student can attend. Students are put into houses and play organized games. Each time a student attends intramurals, he or she gets points for attendance. The top male and top female attenders for the month receive a Mount Royal Intramural Program T-shirt. At the end of the year, regular attenders will have the opportunity to attend a day retreat to Pike Lake.
· Funds are being used to support the Mount Royal Rewards Student Incentive Program.
· The World Religions class went on an all day multi-faith tour through Saskatoon. They hired a bus and a tour guide to explain the various religions and religious facilities they visited.
· Cree Language and Social Studies students attended events at the Pow Wow sponsored by FSIN at Sask Place.
· Community school funds were used to stage the Mini Traditional Pow Wow held at the school in October.
· The band program brought in a variety of musicians to hold band clinics.
· Funds were used to subsidize the MDA 10 trip to Regina and Moose Jaw.
· The "Helping Our Students Become Better Learners" Committee is developing a resource publication entitled "A Student's Guide To Success At Mount Royal."
· LSWS students visited the Festival of Trees.
· The Science Department provided honoraria for the specialists who gave presentations to students on Science Day.
· We supply a free lunch on an emergency basis for those students who come to school without lunch. Students can access this service in room 201.
· Finally, we support staff requests to attend professional development activities.

Throughout the year, staff submit requests to fund activities that enhance the academic program. Funds are also used to support partnership programs such as the Persephone Theatre Club, the Mendel Art Gallery "Art For Life" Program, Take Our Kids To Work Day, and the likes. Finally, Community School Funds are used to support the salary of the Community School Coordinator and other outreach or special support staff that are deemed necessary.

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COMMUNITY SCHOOL COUNCIL

Mount Royal Collegiate will be initiating a Community School Council in the new year. The Council will be made up of parents, students, community members, administrators and teachers. The purpose of the Council is to:
· identify school and community needs and work to develop appropriate responses;
· identify and establish partnerships with human service providers and other community agencies;
· set a budget and manage community school funds.
Any parents or students who are interested in becoming a part of the Community School Council should contact Nina in room 201 or call 683-7822. We hope to hear your ideas and put them into action.

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THANKS TO THE SASKATOON NUTANA ROTARY CLUB
Each year, the Saskatoon Nutana Rotary Club helps Mount Royal with "Take Our Kids To Work" day. This year, approximately forty Grade 9 students were placed in businesses throughout the community. The Rotary Club sponsors a breakfast and motivational speaker for students before they head out for the day. Club members then transport students to and from their placement and make sure the student gets settled in. We could not do this program without the help of the twelve Rotary members who drove students. Thank you for your on-going support of Mount Royal Students.

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DISORGANIZED SPORTS PROGRAM
Disorganized Sports is a drop-in sports program held in the boys gym at Mount Royal on Thursdays from 2:15 - 3:15 pm. All students are welcome to come and take part in a variety of sports activities (many of which are chosen by students). The program is overseen by an organization called Youth For Christ. Program leaders are students from the University of Saskatchewan. There is no cost to attend this program.

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MOUNT ROYAL REWARDS PROGRAM
The Mount Royal Rewards Program is an incentive program in which students who go "above and beyond" or do something extraordinary are given a ticket by a staff member to put in a draw box. Staff speak with students about what behaviors will likely get them a reward ticket (improved attendance, participation in class, care and respect for staff, students and property, and the likes). There are weekly, monthly and semester draws. This semester the prize is a PS II with a game and a video so get your tickets in!

We would like to congratulate the following weekly winners: Gary Huang, Tara Sorba, Patrick Mitsuing, Ashley Greyeyes, Jesse Sayese, Sharla LaRiviere, Bekki Fitzsimmons, Charity Thompson, Ashley Fiddler, Jennifer Rospad, Darryl Bergeron, Terry Smoke, Tenielle Gray, Stephanie Mercredi, Kendall Starr, Taylor Holubetz, Michelle Stonehouse, Donna Genaille, Shayla Santoro, and Ashley Conn.

We would also like to congratulate the following monthly winners: Jared Bond, David Harvey, Shabnam Hallaji-Dezfouli, and Theiny Yout.

Finally, we would like to thank the following businesses that have contributed prizes or given a significant discount on the purchase of prizes: Loreal of Canada, The Star Phoenix, Bazaar and Novelty, London Drugs, Stop and Go Confectionary, Geraldine Martin, and Dan Clarke.

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PARENT TO PARENT WORKSHOP
The Mount Royal Collegiate Association is sponsoring a Parent to Parent Workshop to train parents how to get between their children and the drug culture. The program will be held Tuesday nights from 7:00 - 9:00 P.M. at Mount Royal Collegiate from January 7th-29th, 2003. The program is open to all parents. The cost is $15.00 per person for workbooks. Please register by calling 683-7825.

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BUS PASSES
Bus passes will increase to $36.00 per month effective January 1st, 2003. Students who qualify for subsidy will pay $18.00.

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MULTI FAITH TOUR

On November 15th, 2002 the students in World Religions 30 course and their teachers, Mrs. Cummings, went on an all-day tour to various places of worship. Rita Gillies from Multi Faith Saskatoon was the tour guide. The tour began with a visit to the Chinese Buddhist Temple, then to the Sikh Temple, St. John's Cathedral, the Hindu Temple, the Islamic Mosque and the Jewish Synagogue.
Some comments by the students:
"The trip to all of the different places of worship was awesome! I got to see all the different religions and who/what they worship. It was very interesting and intriguing"; "visually gorgeous"; "The tour made me realize how important it is for everyone to understand religions so that we can live together"; All the hosts were very hospitable"; "This was an opportunity that not many people get."

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TRAFFIC VIOLATIONS
The School Patrol Committee and the Saskatoon Police Service would like to remind parents who drive their children to school to exercise caution and obey traffic laws. All schools now have reduced speed zones, but equally important for child safety are the restricted parking or no-stopping areas.
The Police Service will be enforcing all traffic laws and parking violations in an effort to increase traffic safety for all students.

Common traffic violations include:

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GRADE 9 MDA

The Grade 9 MDA students have been very active with in-class and fundraising activities this fall.

October was a very busy month. On October 2nd a well-known Saskatoon author, Shelly Leedahl, did a writing workshop. She inspired young people to be creative and to write about what they know.
On October 9th we travelled to the always popular Shekinah for a day of outdoor activities. The weather was warm and we had many enthusiastic wall climbers and flying acrobats.
On October 15th we spent the morning at the University of Saskatchewan. Our first visit was the Museum of Antiquities. We were taught a great deal about Egyptian, Roman and Greek art. We got a breath of fresh air as we did some descriptive writing amongst The Statues on the South Saskatchewan River. Then we went to the Diefenbaker Centre to learn about 5,000 years of change world-wide.
In November, students worked in seminar groups on a topic of their interest. They examined "change" in animation, video games, sports, fashion and dance. They did their presentations to peers.
Fundraising has been successful. Students worked as hosts and servers for parent-teacher interviews. Concurrently, they ran a very prosperous bake sale. During the latter part of October, students sold Sunsweet products and we are eagerily awaiting arrival of the order.
On December 13th Dwayne Brenna from the University of Saskatchewan's drama department will provide an Elizabethan drama workshop. This will compliment our study of Romeo and Juliet. On December 20th we hope to hold our annual Medieval Fest. Students will receive recipes, cook the dishes, dress in costume and we will celebrate.
We plan to hold a bottle drive on Saturday, January 11th. We hope everyone can recycle their bottles and cans and support our fundraiser.

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CHEM FREE AFTER GRAD
Plans are well underway for the After Grad Chem Free Party. Grade 12 Graduation will be on Monday June 23rd 2003.
The Chem. Free Party will start with students leaving from the Auditorium in designated "Ride for Life" vehicles at Midnight. The Party continues until 6:J JAM.
Regular monthly meetings are being held the 2nd Tuesday of each month - time - @ 7:00 PM MRCI Library. Parent Committees have been set up to organize fundraising plans for the evening (morning) activities, etc. More help is always needed and appreciated. Parents, guardians and students are always welcome at any meeting.
The students are also having regular meetings during school hours. Check the notices or with Ms. Langlois (the teacher liaison) for more details.

What's happening so far????

We hope you will support the Chem. Free Grad by participating in the fundraising.
Graduates taking part in fundraising activities will receive credits towards the cost of their Grad Ticket and get more money for prices through out the 'Morning".
Questions?
Contact: Ms Langlois @ Mount Royal
Lynn Earle @ 382-9303
Next Meeting - December 10; MRCI Library @7:00 PM
SEE YOU THERE!

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