This week @ Journey Nov. 12-16

School Info:

STUDENT LED CONFERENCES Journey Student Led Conferences will take place on Tuesday November 20th from 5:00pm – 7:30pm.  We will no longer be running 10 minuteinterview times with the on-line appointment booking. This is Journey’s first year with Student Led Conference for parents.  A student-led conference is a conference with parents led by the student. Students must be involved in these conferences. The classroom teacher’s role becomes that of a facilitator. “In a student-led conference, students lead parents through a discussion of their work, which is usually organized in a portfolio collection or interactive notebook. Typically, several conferences are conducted simultaneously in a classroom with family groups seated far enough apart to allow for privacy. The teacher circulates among family groups, stopping long enough to make pertinent comments and further guide the student to answer any questions. Students primarily direct the conversation, which is focused on their work and classroom behaviour.” (Bailey & Guskey, Implementing Student-Led Conferences, 2001)

The main purposes of Student-Led Conferences are to celebrate a child’s learning, show growth over time, and provide parents with a better understanding of their child’s learning process. “When students are well prepared over an extended period of time to tell the story of their own success (or lack thereof), they seem to experience a fundamental shift in their internal sense of responsibility for that success. The pride in accomplishment that students feel when they have a positive story to tell can be immensely motivational. The sense of personal responsibility that they feel when anticipating what it will be like to face the music of having to tell their story of poor achievement can also drive them to productive work.” (Stiggins, Phi Delta Kappan, November 1999)

We invite all parents/guardians to accompany their students for Journey Student-Led Conferences on Tuesday, November 20th from 5-7:30pm.  

COMMUNICATING STUDENT PROGRESS A reminder to all families that SD 62 and Journey Middle School is participating in a Pilot Project on Communicating Student Learning. Your child’s teacher will inform you in the near future of what you should expect in regards to how and when the teacher will be communicating student learning. Many teachers will shift from traditional letter grades to a proficiency scale:

We are aware that change can be confusing and difficult for all involved. Please know that the shift in how we communicate student learning is supported by research and best practice.  As a staff we have been learning and planning to ensure we are providing informative and meaningful ways to communicate student learning. We appreciate your understanding and support during this important process.

Journey Spirit Wear Available for purchase through the office. Great Christmas gift idea!

Journey App: Be sure to get the Journey Dragons App to stay informed about events happening at the school.

Instructions available at:  https://journey.appazur.com/help/flyer

PAC Fundraisers: Order chocolates and coffee for Christmas gifts and support the Journey PAC! Also order groceries through SPUD.ca!

Stick in the Mud Coffee: Our amazing local coffee shop has roasted our very own Journey “Dragon” coffee beans that you can buy for all of your friends and family for Christmas gifts (along with their other popular roasts) at $20 per bag. Please fill out your order form that is attached here and drop off to the school by Nov. 9. Coffee orders will be ready to pick up from the school a week later.

Purdy’s Order your chocolates at fundraising.purdys.com with Customer #36616 by Nov. 24 and receive your chocolates at the school office by Dec. 3.

SPUD.ca Order your groceries from SPUD.ca. 25% is donated from every fundraising produce box, 10% donated from a mixed grocery box or 10% donated from gift cards. Head over to SPUD.ca and create an account. Once signed in, start shopping their amazing local and organic products! At checkout, enter the promotional code FUNDRAISING. Select “Journey Middle School” from the drop-down list and complete your order. Your order will be delivered to your home or office and Journey will get a donation from SPUD. Free delivery to Sooke on Mondays and Thursdays!

Movember Journey will be holding a Movember fundraiser here at the school at the end of November. In the meantime participating male staff at Journey may look scruffier and scruffier over the next few weeks prepping to style their moustaches for the fundraiser in the last week of November. More details will be revealed through school announcements, and the blog. Please keep yourself in the loop about the fundraiser this month, and how you can donate.

Community Info:

March 2020 EMCS Rome / Paris trip. This opportunity is open to Journey’s current grade 8s who will be at EMCS next year. There will be an information parent night on November 14th at 6pm in the art room at EMCS

Monday

No School – Remembrance Day

Tuesday

Tea in the Foyer @ recess – all students are welcome to stop by with their mugs and get a cup of herbal tea compliments of Ms. Shannon.  If you forget your cup today she will have a disposable one for you!

Skatepark club @ lunch break – You can bring skateboards, scooters, BMX bikes (no mountain bikes) or rollerblades and join this fast paced club.

DIV 11 Ms. Dvorak’s Homework club: (by appointment) at lunch

PAC MEETING – 6:30 in the library

Wednesday

Lunch- Subway @ lunch.  $3.50 per sandwich (chicken, ham, pizza or veggie).  Chips, waterand juice boxes also available for $1 to purchase.  Munch Cards and cash accepted.

Skatepark club @ lunch break – You can bring skateboards, scooters, BMX bikes (no mountain bikes) or rollerblades and join this fast paced club.

Robotics Club: Meet LEGO Mindstorms EV3 3:15-4:30

Thursday

Robotics Field Trip to Dunsmuir Middle School for the 1st of 3 Middle School Robotics Jamborees.  Students will be picked up by bus at 11am at Journey and returned to Journey by 5 pm. Get your permissions in to Ms. Dvorak ASAP.

Friday

Mystical Main celebrates student Role Models at lunch with Pizza and a talk by Andy Carrier (From Sooke 2 for 1 Pizza) about community philanthropy and service.    

Upcoming Dates:

November 20 – Student Led Conferences (5-7:30)

November 22 – Early dismissal 11:58

November 23 – Pro-D Day