Div 1 TBH

Div 2 TBH

February 27th

Tomorrow is Jolympics. We will be going to the arena at 9am to watch the Grade 8 and 9 Hockey Teams play the EMCS Teachers. This is a sporting activity, but also aims to connect the 8s with their future school.
Following this adventure, we will head back to the school for the Jolympics at around 10. Dress for P.E. I will be hosting the Biathlon Station and you can reassure your parents that I won't be allowing you to use firearms in school!

Olivia and other students looking to complete their Bacteria Lab Write Up tonight:

For the Bacteria Lab results, please go to this page and scroll down to assignments. The results are for both Division 1 and 2. Your job was to record the results and write a conclusion based on those quantitative observations. Questions? Fire them at me here on the blog or at gbridal@sd62.bc.ca

February 26th

March 6th:

11:30 am - Students will be dismissed early (buses will be running).

1-3 pm - Parents can sign up for a Parent/Teacher Conference online, if they choose to meet with their child’s teacher.  Please go to our website and click on PARENTS and then INTERVIEWS to book a 15 minute block of time.  The website is open NOW to book if you choose.  

Please note: we know that with 8 time slots and 60 sets of families, we will not be able to meet with all of you. However, if you cannot book a time on the 6th, please get your parents to email us to arrange for an alternative point of contact. Many of your parents are already in regular contact with us so please let them know that this is not an obligation. Really if you are a student who is achieving C+, Bs and As, we do not have concerns. If you have outstanding work or your marks are not where they could be, you might want to have a 15 minute sit down with Mr Horner and I to set up your third term for success. 

5-7 pm - Families are invited to our Open House to take part in our Journey Celebration of Learning.  Come listen to our Band, Strings, and Rock Band perform in the gym at 5 and 6 pm, walk through the halls and look at the displays of art, classroom and exporatories projects.  Our staff will be on hand to chat and talk about upcoming projects.  Our PAC will be selling light refreshments and their ever-popular Powercards.  All family members are welcome to attend for all or part of the evening.

Students with outstanding work:

If your name is on the board, you owe me work. As I have been reminding you on daily basis, this Friday, February 28th is the last day for late assignments.  Doing that work is your job, my job was to provide you with guidelines to finish the assignments, reminders on the Wiki Homework board and course links so that you have all the information and resources you need to complete the work. 

I will give out I packages on Friday. That work needs to be done by Wednesday, March 5th to complete the course requirement. If it is not done, I must change the I to F. If it is done, you will complete the course and earn a letter grade.

Today's word is: WORDY

February 25th

The counselors came today and were able to answer questions about courses and the course selection program. If you were absent, I can take you through the program at lunch.

Two deadlines for grade 9 course selection: 

• March 3 = Submit Courses On-line
• March 7 = Course Selection Verification Sheets signed by parents. 

Questions? Please email me at gbridal@sd62.bc.ca or post your question here.

A reminder: Math Unit Final tomorrow. Bring your sharpened pencils and a calculator.

Tomorrow is also Pink Shirt Day. Please watch this social experiment video and ask yourself: "what would you do?" Put your answer in the comments box for an entry to this week's triple draw.

February 24th

The counselors from EMCS will be at the school tomorrow. They will meet with Division 2 Block 3 (10:40-11:30) and Division 1 Block 5 (1:10-2:00). The meeting is to complete your course selection and to answer any questions you have about the registration program.

Remember to launder your pink shirts for Wednesday:


Your word today is: pink.

This week February 24th to 28th

Great to see so many of you at the EMCS Open House. For those of you who were unable to make it, the administration introduced themselves and the new "Career Cruising" course selection program which is linked to this blog under course links. The various departments at the school had booths set up and EMCS staff and students were on hand to answer questions. It was very well done.

This week, the counselors will be at our school to ensure that you are able to navigate the course selection program. March 4th is the deadline for this and your parents need to approve any decisions that you make.

I really like the "Career Cruising" site because it does allow you to see 4 years into your adulthood and post secondary training/education. If your parents have any questions, please direct them to my email: gbridal@sd62.bc.ca; I am very quick to respond on email.

Academics this week:

Math Fractions Unit Final on Wednesday

Chivalry Test on Thursday

Incomplete Work Deadline this Friday

Today's word is: "select"

February 20th

A reminder that EMCS is hosting an open house from 6:30 to 8:30 tonight. You don't have to go for the full two hours. Just drop in for a bit and check out the school's programs.

Tomorrow is a ProD for teachers, we go to school, you sleep in and hang out at home or go camping like Jacob...brrrrrrr.

Triple draw next Friday. No TBH this week; I am saving this for next week.

February 19th

What a great day we had yesterday. The snow, which had threatened not to come at all, came in drifts. Drifts, that swallowed many a Journey student and teacher. That was a day to the power of 2. I was so happy for those people in grade 8 who were up on a snowy mountain for the first time; you will never forget it!

Now, to business. Tomorrow, we will have a "Crusades" quiz.  Use your Cornell notes and the wiki to study. You need to know:

• what were the crusades
• how many were there
• how did the crusades impact you 
• why did people in the middle ages go on crusades
• what was the outcome of most of the crusades

You will also be presenting Science presentations tomorrow. So, come prepared.

Today's entry can be won by entering a comment about the funniest thing that happened on the ski trip. If you didn't go, tell me what you did with your day.

February 17th

(You will be here tomorrow. Yay!)

Ski/Snowboard Day Tomorrow for most. Arrive at the school at 4:45 AM. Click on the parent's link to find a copy of the ski trip description (December notices) so that you can review what to bring and what to expect on the trip. I am packing a lunch for my daughter and I to save money, but am bringing money for dinner.
I am so excited!!!!

Students coming to school, please go to Mrs Lennox's class for the day.

Enter your favourite thing about snow in the comments box for an entry to this week's double draw.

This Week February 17th to 21st

This week is a short one academically:

• We will continue investigating body systems with students presenting on Wednesday.
• We will explore chivalry and stories associated with it namely St George and the Dragon, King Arthur and Robin Hood.
• There is a test on the crusades this Thursday for both divisions (please refer to the course link and to your notes to study).
• We will solve problems with fractions and mixed numbers using the order of operations which will bring us to the unit finale (the unit final will be next week on Wednesday).

Students participating in the ski trip, please be at the school at 4:45 am on Tuesday. The bus leaves at 5 am and waits for nobody.

This Friday is a Pro D. Students have a day off because teachers are attending/giving workshops on how to do our jobs better.

February 14th

No Valentine's Party today, but I never resist the opportunity to tell people how great I think they are. Here is this week's TBH for Div 1 and Div 2.  A valentine for all of you...



For an entry today write about something you love in the comments box...I love Thai food. The hotter the spice the better!

Feb. 12th

Mount Washington is open and the Grade 8 Ski Trip is officially a go.

So, as planned, we will be meeting at the school this coming Tuesday, January 18th at 4:45 am (oh my gosh, I am tired just writing that). We will spend the day on the mountain and return in the evening. Please read over the notice which is provided on the parents link to make sure that you are well prepared for your day of adventure!

Today's word is: "Hooray!" (Is that a word?)

Feb. 11th

(Sadly, we have a bit of this going on. Dial it up people.)

Weird, Grade 9 seems a little bit closer after Mr Phipp's visit. For those of you who were absent today, Mr Phipps is a counsellor at EMCS and he came today to introduce EMCS' class rotation, semester system, grade 9 courses and computerized course selection site to our two divisions. He brought three grade 9s who spoke about transitioning to high school and a little about the courses they are taking. Thanks to Tanya Fogerty in grade 9 who gave us the idea to take a photo of your schedule with your phone so that you can learn it and follow it in those crazy first few weeks.
I will be linking the Grade 9 Course Selection page under the course links on this blog so that you can access it at home and show your parent(s)/guardians.
Remember, if you are not going to EMCS, they want to know as well. If you are unsure, still register to secure your place in classes. There are a lot of options out there and keeping them open at this point is okay.

For today's entry, post a comment about what you are most excited about going to High School. Nobody is allowed to say "seeing the last of Mrs Bridal" or I will cry. ;-)

This Week February 11th to 14th

Happy Family Day to all of you. I am updating all the course pages for the week, if you want to preview our topics.

I am hoping that all of your parents have received the following letter from EMCS. If not, I am attaching it. EMCS Counsellors will be visiting tomorrow to go over this information with you. Please pass it to your parents. Today's word is: "Nine".

Hello Parents/Guardians,

At EMCS we are busy preparing for the 2014-2015 school year and we are looking forward to welcoming students from Journey Middle School into Grade 9 at EMCS.  Course selection will take place in February and March so we can start building the school’s timetable and generate student schedules.  EMCS School Counsellors will visit Grade 8 classes on February 11 and 12 to begin the transition process.

Edward Milne Community School is excited to announce that we are moving forward with an online course selection and high school planning resource called Career Cruising. Career Cruising is a web-based program that allows students and parents to access EMCS course information online. Using Career Cruising, every student will create an online 4-year high school plan that lists completed courses, current courses, and courses planned for future years. Based on the courses in the student’s high school plan, Career Cruising provides a personalized list of post-secondary education options the student may wish to explore. Career Cruising offers a wealth of up-to-date information regarding post-secondary programs and careers. 

Career Cruising will help students see the connections among course selection, a well thought out 4 year high school plan, post-secondary education, and career planning. We hope that this valuable resource will make it easier for parents/guardians to assist students explore education and career options. By using Career Cruising, taking Planning 10, and discussing plans with parents and Counsellors, students should ensure that the courses in their plan will lead to high school graduation and meet admission requirements for post-secondary programs of interest.

School Counsellors will introduce the Career Cruising program to students and teach them how to enter courses in their high school plan and select courses for next school year. We have worked with Career Cruising to create a user account for all students.  Please visit the EMCS website (Course Selection under the Student Resources tab) for instructions for logging on to Career Cruising.

Please keep in mind that before students submit their course requests, we encourage them to attend the EMCS Open House with their parents/guardians.  The Open House takes place on February 20 from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.  At the Open House, we will be showcasing the many courses, programs, and extra-curricular activities available at EMCS.  The Open House provides an opportunity to talk with staff, see samples of student work, and gather information that will help parents and students make informed decisions about course selection for 2014-2015. 

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about the EMCS Open House, course selection, or Career Cruising.

Allan Phipps

School Counsellor

Edward Milne Community School

(250) 642-5211 ext. 1183

TBH Div 1

For an entry today, congratulate or compliment the TBH.

TBH Div 2

February 5th

Many of you are working away at your Body Systems project (some of you are going into such detail that you are ready for medical school). This is due on Tuesday, February 11th, but you should use the class time you are given so that this weekend can be clear of homework. You will present the projects Tuesday and Wednesday.

I was really impressed at your creativity around your Crusades Board Games. I think that we will have some playing them. A reminder that the finished copy is due on Friday.

Today's phrase is: "Game's on."

February 4th

(The Crusades have certainly inspired all sorts of artists and writers)

Tomorrow, we should have all your interims returned. We will call parents to conference over the phone, if we haven't received this documentation. Some of you live in two homes, we will be flexible with this date for you.

Today's entry can be won by answering this question: What was one consequence of the crusades? (Or more) --Can you find a gross fact about them because my eating dead enemies is getting old?

February 3rd

(Now what sort of Lego Game would you playing with this set of characters???)
Interims went home for both Divisions 1 and 2. These need to be signed and returned by Wednesday. We will phone parents to discuss your progress, if we do not receive this document back.

A reminder that these are informal reports that focus on work habits. These are not for your student file, but are for your information so that you can improve your performance, if needed.  Report cards are due in one month so we are actively collecting notes on your work habits and marking your work to provide you with a letter grade. We don't want you to be surprised when they go out. This is the "heads up".

Today's phrase is: "aim high"

This Week, February 3rd to 7th

This week we will be:

• Dividing Fractions by Fractions in Math
• Investigating the Crusades in Social Studies
• Working on the Body Systems project in Science as well as looking at Medieval medicine

It is going to be a cold one this week, come prepared and dress warmly. Wish, wish, wish for snow on Mt Washington.

Today's word is: Dragon