January to April of 2007


Upcoming Dates to Notice
Jan 15 - CPF Chapter Meeting  - 7:30 pm @ Sandy Hill
Jan 22-Mar 12 - French for Parents Workshop-(Beginners 1)@Sandy Hill
Jan 23-Mar 13 - French for Parents Workshop-(Beginners 2)@Centennial
Feb 7/8 - Early Dismissal Days @ 1:25 pm
Feb 16-Pro-D Day (NO SCHOOL)
Feb 22-Gr. 5 Late French Immersion Information Night - 7:00 pm in MPR

Friday, January 19th-Day in session
One last reminder that Friday, January 19th is a day in session at our school.  The original calendar in September had this as a non-instructional day. However, a request from elementary and middle school administrators to change this date to later in spring was agreed to by the School Trustees.  Classes will be held on January 19th.

Early Dismissal Days in February - Parent/Teacher Conferences
The second set of District Wide Early Dismissal Days will occur on Wednesday, February 7th and Thursday, February 8th. On those days students will be dismissed at 1:25 pm.  Teachers will remain in their classrooms that afternoon for drop-in interviews until 2:30 pm to meet with parents and guardians around their child's progress in the second reporting period. If you would like an interview and this time is inconvenient, please contact your child’s teacher  to set up another time.

Non-instructional day in February
The next scheduled non instructional day will take place on Friday, February 16th. No classes will be held on that day.

Wolves Athletics News
All basketball teams are now in practice and game mode.  We have 130 students involved in extracurricular basketball teams.  This is a record number of basketball players for CDG.  Boys and girls teams in all grade levels practice or play a minimum of twice a week.  In addition to this extracurricular time, all PE classes are involved in basketball units for the next few weeks.  We thank those teachers who have taken on coaching and officiating roles.  There is also a small but dedicated group of students that help with basketball officiating duties.  We thank Lexi, Zaida, Ronny and Richard for their help timekeeping and scorekeeping.  Mr. Jim Mitchell, WJM Wrestling Coach has invited boys or girls from CDG to join him at the Legacy Building Wednesdays after school to learn some wrestling basics.  Contact Mr. McTaggart for more information.

Academic initiatives
Throughout the year various challenges and opportunties are made available to our top academic students.  We thought you might be interested in a  sampling of what has been made available in the last two months.

Weather conditions, traffic and your patience
With many of our students being driven to school the winter conditions this year have made the traffic situation around the school that much more challenging.  Add in the increased traffic on Gladwin Road and it likely that many parents and guardians have had their patience stretched in recent weeks.  We appreciate your continued cooperation in the morning and afternoon in maintaining your composure around this challenge and ensuring the safety of the students as they arrive and leave school each day.

Grade 8 Boys Basketball
The grade 8 boys basketball team has been on fire as of late, holding down a record of 5 wins and 2 losses.  Currently they are tied for 2nd in the league.  Coach Klim has been very impressed with their determination and improving play every game and practice.  The boys have been playing very competitively, and even managed to upset MEI by 14 points just before the Christmas break.  The team has come together as a unit, and their play is fast and accurate.  The team is hosting the first ever CDGMS Invitational Tournament on January 26th and 27th, and encourage all supporters to come out and watch some great basketball.  CDG plays @ 2:00pm versus Clayburn, come out and cheer on the WOLVES!!

BABYSITTING COURSE 
Our first course filled up within days so we are offering another session  in April.  Forms are available at the office.

Opportunity to attend  Yale Secondary's Musical Production in Early February
Earlier in the school year all the teachers at Chief Dan George decided to take advantage of a great opportunity to have their students experience live theater locally through viewing a matinee performance of Yale Secondary's musical production "Annie Get Your Gun".  The show will be running out of the Abbotsford Arts Center four evenings in early February (i.e. February 7th - 10th).  Yale's musical theater program has developed a reputation as one of the best in the province.  They have performed musicals every year in this community since 1991.  On the two days leading up to opening night Yale Secondary provides an opportunity for students in Abbotsford to view the performance at a reduced cost during the school day.  We presently have tickets for all students and staff at this school, with most of our students slated to attend on Monday, February 5th and the rest on Tuesday February 6th.  Our field trip request was accepted in the fall and we have made the necessary transportation arrangements for this opportunity. However, we are still waiting for further clarification from our Board of School Trustees around curricular and extracurricular field trips given the Supreme Court ruling that was issued in early October.  We are hoping to receive clarification of the Board's position in the next week so that we might communicate that to you and then see what we are in a position to do with this upcoming field trip.  We are hoping that we will still be able to move forward with this opportunity and provide our students with a chance to see quality live theater performed by students who are only a few years older than they.   For your information,  from Chris Rempel, District PAC Chair, the District Parent Advisory Council have prepared a comprehensive survey on school fees and related issues.  To participate go to the following link:  www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=571453135005.

Important Notice Regarding Den Lunch Program
Please mark your calendars - the Den Lunch Program's last day of operation this school year will be Friday, March 9th (the Friday before Spring Break).  This date is the most logical time to cease operation as after Spring Break Mr. Lilly will be producing our play "Aladdin". Term 4 begins shortly after this (April 16th) and Mr. Lilly has a Home Ec class scheduled into the block just before lunch each day. This means he cannot do both the Den and teach his class. We apologize for the inconvenience this will cause families but unfortunately we do not have an alternative. The Pit Stop Canteen will be running as usual.

Talent Show
Our very popular annual Talent Show takes place on Friday afternoon, January 19th.  Over one dozen fine arts performances from very talented Chief Dan George students will be presented to the student body on that afternoon.

Hosting Simon Fraser University Student Teachers
For the first three days of this week our school hosted eight Simon Fraser University student teachers at the beginning of  their first practicum experience.  All are slated to spend a number of weeks this semester in various high schools in the Fraser Valley.  The Education Faculty at S.F.U. requested that our school provide these student teachers with a three day experience in a middle school before beginning their first formal high school practicum. 

ALADDIN NEWS
The students of Chief Dan George are putting on the Disney Musical “Aladdin” during the first week of April at the Abbey Arts Centre.  As you can imagine, this is a huge undertaking, requiring much support, resources and time.  Our production committee was asked to present the PAC and parents with a list of things that we hoped they could help us with.  The areas we need help in are as follows:


The auditions are finished.  The advertising has begun and the cast and crew are busy memorizing and working through all of the logistics of putting on a Disney musical.  It's a very exciting time as we begin to once again be awed by the amazing talents and many gifts of our students.  The production committee would like to thank Blackwood Lumber for coming on board and supplying all the material necessary to build our sets.  We are very fortunate that our community supports our students in so many ways.  Thanks again Blackwood.  News regarding dates and ticket prices will be available soon.

Origami News
The Origami club has been meeting in Mrs. Mitchell's classroom every Monday at lunch for quite some time. The club is open for those who enjoy being in a quiet environment, learning and practicing the Japanese art of folding paper. Students are allowed to bring their lunch and go at their own pace trying all kinds of different projects. The club is looked after by club president, Jacquie T., and club vice president, Rae-Anne M. Very low-key and quiet. Shhhhh............

Drag Racing News
Lordco has become our latest sponsor and has donated funds that will be used for supplies such as the synthetic oil we will be using this season. Thank you Lordco for their continued support not only for us, but for the whole racing programme at Mission Raceway Park.  Thanks to a donation from Rapid Tire Repair we have ordered and will soon receive a new set of tires for our dragster.  Rad Torque Systems, our major sponsor, will be working on our two dragsters over the next few months. They will ensure the dragsters are up-to-date and follow all NHRA requirements. The amount of support they offer us in the way of funds and expertise is incredible. Great partnerships. As a team, we will endeavour to stay on top of our division.

Chess Club
It's that time of year again. Chess club will start next week on Tuesday, at lunch. Because of all the other things that happen at lunchtime in our school, the dates may change, but for now Tuesday at lunch will be when our chess fanatics can show off their strategic prowess. Students are expected to bring their lunch to the conference area of the library, the venue for the chess club. The chess club will be looked after and sponsored by Mr. Sakai and Mr. Glum. In a month or so, we will be forming a chess team to represent our school at the annual Provincial Chess Championship qualifying tournament. Everybody is welcome to join.

 
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February 1, 2007

Important Dates to Note
Feb 7/8 - Early Dismissal Days @ 1:25 pm
Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28 - Babysitting Course
Feb 16-Pro-D Day (NO SCHOOL)
Feb 22-Gr. 5 Late French Immersion Information Night - 7:00 pm in MPR

Next Pac Meeting
February 19th at 7:00 pm.  We  will be having our Police Liaison Officer, Krys Pappius come for a presentation on Drug Awareness.  ALL ARE  WELCOME 
 
Wolves Athletics News
Chief Dan George athletes faired well at last week’s AMSSAA Wrestling Championships at WJM Secondary.  Gurbaj G. and Mitchell V. took first place in their weight categories with Brooke F. taking second.  The Gr. 7 Girls basketball team started the season strong with two wins against Abby Middle and ASIA (Abbotsford School of Integrated Arts).  Coaches highlight strong play from Danika  B., Madissen G., Savannah D. and Ronnie T.  The Gr. 7 Boys basketball team has played an exhibition game against Abby Middle with more to be scheduled for February.  Coach Dugdale was impressed by the energy of Mitchell F., Zorawar R. and Tanner S.  Gr. 6 basketball teams resume playdays on February 5th for boys and February 12th  for girls. 

Early Dismissal Days
Next Wednesday, February 7th and Thursday, February 8th will be the last two of our four scheduled Early Dismissal Days this year. Students will be dismissed one hour earlier (i.e. 1:25 pm) and teachers will be available in their classrooms during the following hour to meet with parents and guardians around their child's progress. 
       
Non instructional Day
A reminder that there is a district wide non instructional day scheduled for Friday, February 16th. The School District is hosting a major conference on that day.  Most staff in Abbotsford and the surrounding school districts will participate in that conference.

Grade 8 boys basketball tournament
Thanks to the efforts of Grade 8 boys basketball coach M T.J. Klim and a number of school staff and students there were 5 teams involved and the games were of excellent caliber.  The Wolves came out and beat Clayburn in front of an in school crowd on Friday, with Jonathan  W., pocketing 18 points and 10 rebounds.  The Wolves then went on to beat Highroad Academy as well as Abby Middle and Abby Christian, which sent them into a final game against Abby Middle.  The game was tight for the first half, and both teams worked hard to earn the first place trophy.  Abby Middle fought hard and eventually beat the Wolves, taking 1st and the Wolves placed a respectable 2nd.  Everett M., Tanner H., Jordan M., and Jonathan W. racked up the points during the tournament, and Jonathan W. was named one of the Tournament All-Stars.  The Wolves are now heading into the playoffs, and are also playing this weekend at the Bulldog Classic at C+G Howe Middle School.  Their first game in this tournament is @ 5:00 pm against Westview.  Come out and cheer on your CDG Wolves!!!!!

DEN
On Monday February 5th our Den lunch program will be closed as 420 of our students will be at Abby Arts viewing "Annie Get Your Gun".  The DEN will reopen Tuesday, February 6th.

Late French Immersion information evening February 22
The school will be hosting grade 5 students and their parents and an evening information session around Late French Immersion.  The program will begin at 7:00 pm in our multi-purpose room.  Late French Immersion has been offered at the Grade 6 level in Abbotsford for 15 years and has allowed hundreds of students over that period of time to develop an very strong facility with the French language.

Aladdin
Mark the evenings of April 4th and 5th on your calendar and come see our musical at Abby Arts - it's free!! Bring your whole family for a fun-filled night - first come first served. Light refreshments will be served during intermission.

Fine Arts performance "The Move"
On Friday afternoon, February 9th our students and staff will enjoy a fine arts performance from a Vancouver Theatre company called "The Move". Each year our students are provided opportunities in our gymnasium to view high quality theatre at no charge.  The performance will begin at 1:00 pm.

Yale's Secondary's musical "Annie Get Your Gun"
Last week we sent home information/permission forms with all students regarding a wonderful optional opportunity to view live theatre at an extremely reasonable price.  We have tickets for our students and staff to view Yale Secondary's matinee performances of "Annie Get Your Gun". Yale Secondary has set the standard for high school musicals in the province and every year have highly entertained audiences with their productions.  In order for us to take your child to this event at the beginning of next week we require a signed permission form.  Students will travel to and from the Abbey Arts Center by school bus. They will leave the school at 9:20 am and return at 2:00 pm.   Students will be required to bring a bag lunch on that day as during the intermission all students will be ushered into the gymnasium stands at Abbotsford Collegiate to partake of their lunch.  Extra information/permission forms are available in the main office.  If your child has not yet returned the form and wishes to attend then time is of the essence.  Most students and staff are scheduled to attend  on Monday, February 5th. Only students and staff in the English 6 and English 8 program are slated to attend Tuesday's matinee. 

JANUARY STUDENT OF THE MONTH IS ZAIDA R.
Zaida is an excellent student, gets along well with her peers, is a great role model for others and supports the school in a number of ways. Over the last few weeks she has given many hours after school to score keep and time keep basketball games hosted by us.  She was one of three student representatives that gave the student teachers a tour of the school. The comments from the student teachers after their tour were very positive and complementary.

CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL BOTTLE DRIVE
Division 22 is sponsoring a bottle drive to support Children's Hospital.  Four classes will win prizes. The top prize will be a Valentines ice cream party. Collection will be from Wednesday, February 7th to Thursday February 15th. All Proceeds will go to the Children’s Hospital

Do You Know Where Your Jacket (Lunch Box, Binder,...) Is???
It's that time again!  Time to clear out our LOST & FOUND bin, located in our Multi-purpose Room.  Please stop by and check our bin out, or ask your child to look for their belongings there.  We will be taking our students through the MPR to look for their belongings during the week of February 12th.  Any items left behind at the end of that week will be bagged up and donated to a local charity.  Thank you for your assistance with this.

Thank you to our community support folks!
Through the year we do our best to acknowledge the fabulous support we receive from individuals and businesses in our community.  We would like to thank Abbotsford Glass for their great support of our  Tech Ed program over the last few  years. They have donated a large quantity of glass for our glass etching  projects and are working with a local artisan to keep the costs down for a new  display case that the PAC has  agreed to support.  That case will be placed in the foyer outside the main entrance to our gymnasium.

KEY COMMUNICATORS, who represent each school, AO’s, Parent Advisory Council, meet with the Superintendent  several times during the school year.  The purpose of these meetings is to provide information of interest to parents.  Key Communicators then disseminate the information to their respective PAC, AO’s.  The next meeting is scheduled for 9:30 am, Wednesday, February 7th at the School Board Office (2790 Tims Street).  ALL parents are welcome to attend.

More Simon Fraser University Student Teachers receive an Orientation at CDG
Our school's reputation continues to grow in the community.  After hosting eight student teachers for three days from Simon Fraser University last week we were asked to do an middle school orientation with another six Simon Fraser University student teachers for one day in the middle of this week.  The feedback we received from these university students about their experience at our school was extremely positive.   They noted the excellent manner of the students, the welcoming tone in the school and the professionalism of all the staff as some of the areas that stood out for them.

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February 15, 2007

Dates to Note
Feb 16-Pro-D Day (NO SCHOOL)
Feb 19-PAC Meeting-7:00 pm
Feb 22-Gr. 5 Late French Immersion Information Night - 7:00 pm in MPR
Mar 9-Report Cards Home
Mar 12-23-Spring Break

Friday, February 16 District Wide Professional Development
Please be reminded that this Friday, February 16th will be a District Wide Professional Development Day in Abbotsford. No classes will be held.

Second term formal report
Students are running out of time to complete requirements for  the second major report of the school year. Teachers have communicated to students regarding outstanding assignments and the deadline to submit is the third week of February.  Second term formal reports will be issued on Friday, March 9th.

Athletic News       
Our Grade  8 basketball  teams have advanced to the second round of playoffs with wins over Abby  Middle (Boys) and Heritage  Park (Girls).   Coach Klim was very pleased with his team’s intensity on defence.  The girls found their scoring touch in the second half to win by ten points.  The Grade 7 basketball teams are half way through their seasons.  The girls sport a record of 2-2 with three league games remaining.  The boys have advanced into the playoffs, and have 2 wins under their belt.  They defeated Hatzic in round one 62-32, and then climbed to victory over Abby Middle 54-52 in a very tight, white knuckled game.  The boys are slated to play Mission on February 15th at Colleen and Gordie Howe at 3:15 pm. Rugby teams began practice this week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 2:45 - 4:30 pm.  We welcome community coaches Marius Weideman (Boys) and Shawn Hagen (Girls) to our staff.  Both coaches have a wealth of experience and are keen to get our athletes ready for the upcoming season set to begin first week of April.  One Chief Dan George wrestler has qualified for the Fraser Valley Championship Tournament.  Sunny D. will wrestle in the 78 kg category next weekend.  Good luck Sunny!

Math Speed Games Team members
Each year the School District has sponsored a Math Speed Games competition at Seven Oaks Mall. Last year our team performed admirably and Grade 6 student Dylan Plantenga had one of the top scores in the entire district.  This year's team is listed below. Best of luck to our representatives who will be competing next week.
Grade 6 Team: Brandon K., Gene S., Carly P., Carol K., Brittany M., Navneet D., Alternate:  Chris B.
Grade 7 Team:  Matthew B., Dylan P., Seo Hyeong (Cindy) B., Tristan R., EunSu L., Sahil A., Alternate:  Anthony G.

GADGETS AT SCHOOL
We have noticed an increase in the number of students bringing electronic devices to school since the Christmas break.  Some of these devices are better left at home because they can be used to infringe upon other's privacy, are used inappropriately, and/or because they are rather expensive items.  Any wireless devices with text-messaging abilities, for example, do not have a place within our school's halls/classrooms/playground.  As well, any students using cameras for school-related projects should leave these items with a classroom teacher/the office.  We do have many students who bring cell phones, Gameboys, and/or MP3 Players/iPods to school.  If your family considers it necessary for your child to bring these items to school, please speak with them about the fact that these items are to be used beyond our school property, and are to, otherwise, be stored in the student's locker for safekeeping.  We appreciate your assistance with this matter.

LOST & FOUND ITEMS - PLEASE CLAIM!
Each classroom in our school has viewed the many items that have accumulated in our Lost & Found bin in our Multi-Purpose Room over the past couple of months.  We will be bagging these items up on Monday, February 19th and donating them to a local charity.  Please remind your child to check out the bin  or do come in, yourself, at the end of the school day to check through the items.  There are several rather expensive looking belongings in the bin.

ALADDIN JR.
The cast is working very hard and their efforts are starting to show amazing positive results.  The entire cast is now “off books” and are working on the choreography for two musical numbers.   It is really starting to resemble a big broadway musical (so much fun).  Our seamstresses: Pam Tucker, Firouzeh Bahraini, Margie Peters and Marianne Stewart, have begun sewing the costumes.  They are almost finished all the Guards costumes and will soon begin the Narrators and the Ensembles costumes.   They are amazing sewers and the result of their efforts will be very apparent on the night of the production.  Thank you ladies.

Our set has been assembled thanks to Mr. Lariviere and Mr. Dugdale.  They have put togather a massive 32 x 16 villagescape that can be taken apart and reassembled at the theatre without much effort.  Thanks guys.  We have also been blessed with an amazing artist who is bringing our set to life.  Conny Stach has been working on drawing the shops and palace and will soon begin to add colour to the picture.  Her gifts at drawing and painting will combine to create a realistic streetscape as a backdrop and we are so thankful that she has taken on this role with such energy and enthusiasm.  Thanks Conny!

Benjamin Moore Paint and Decorating owner, Martin Prus, has graciously given us all the paint needed to complete our set.  We are grateful for his support and thank him for joining the many community businesses that have helped make this production possible.  Thank you so much Martin.

We would like to begin introducing the stage crew to the production March 1st.  In order to help facilitate their roles we will need to have all our props available by that time.  If you can help us find the needed items we would like them brought to the school on February  26-28th.  We will take very good care of them to ensure they are returned in the same condition they were received.  We are still looking for: small carpets, costume jewelry, a small cart to sell fruit from, wicker baskets, brass pots, clay pots, blankets and 15 used baseball caps (will not be returned).  Please contact Mr. Lilly (604-852-9616) if you have any of these items and would allow us to use them. 

Both  matinee performances have been sold out .  Our two evening performances are free of charge.  We are recommending  you come by the school and pick up as many tickets as you need for the evening of your choice to ensure a seat .  The tickets will not be assigned seating but will ensure that you get into the theatre.  All are welcome but please ensure that the tickets you take will be used.  Thank you

RED CEDAR AWARDS BOOK CLUB
Looking for great new books? The Red Cedar Awards are a chance for grade 6 and grade 7 students to vote for their favourite Canadian author. Students who join this club can choose from a wide range of nonfiction or fiction books available in our school library. After completing a minimum of 5 evaluation sheets for either category, members are eligible to vote for the author they like best. Member's names will also be entered into a draw to attend the awards ceremony in Vancouver in May. The club had its first meeting this week, but it is not too late to get a membership sheet from Mrs. Banks (grade 6's) or Mrs. Reimer (grade 7's). 

PAC MEETING REMINDER
Reminder that our school police liaison officer Krys Pappius will be here to make a presentation for  parents on  Beginnners Drug Awareness @ 7:00 pm on February 19th.  Everyone is welcome!!

The AD/HD Parent Support Group is meeting 7:00 – 9:00 pm, Thursday, February 15th at 102-32885 Ventura Avenue, Abbotsford.  Debra Sherman will be speaking on AD/HD and Co-existing Disorders.  Please join us for this informative session.  Contact Leona Fountain for more information.  604-852-2686 ext 246

A BIG thankyou to Mrs. Har of Sui Sha Ya Restaurant (in the Safeway complex) for generously donating over 600 fortune cookies to students and staff in celebration of Chinese New Year on February 18th.

Homestay Families Needed
Abbotsford School District, International Education Program requires host families to host international secondary students.    The secondary student’s placements will range from 5 – 10 months. Host families receive a monthly remuneration of $700.   Please visit our website at www.experienceabbotsford.com for more information. If interested in hosting, please download a homestay application and submit it to Abbotsford School District,  2790 Tims Street, Abbotsford, BC, V2T 4M7.  Attention: Homestay Recruiter.  No phone calls please.

 
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March 1, 2007

Upcoming Dates to Note
Mar 5        Nights of Music @ Abbey Arts - 7:00 pm
Mar 9        Report Cards Home
Mar 12-23    Spring Break
Mar 27 & Apr 2    Gr. 9 Course Planning

Second term report card issue on March 9
We will be issuing second term report cards on Friday, March 9th, the last day in session before the Spring Break closure.

Athletic News
The Grade 8 Boys Basketball season is now over, and we’re proud of the accomplishments of this year’s team.   Our Gr. 8 Boys finished league play  8 -4 and  made the Fraser Valley Championships for the first time.  They met a tough team from Fraser Heights (Surrey) in the first round and came up short 59 - 48.  The boys drew even at half time but struggled against a strong full court press.  Highlights were some strong outside shooting from Tanner Hamade and great defence from Everett Morris and Adam Pampalon.   Everyone on the team worked hard, but most importantly they worked as a unit.  Our season is over, but the memories will last a long time.  This year was marked with firsts; first time beating MEI, making it into the top of our league, and finally qualifying for the Fraser Valleys.  All the boys on the team should be very proud of what we did as a team, and satisfied with the efforts they put forth this year.  I would really like to thank all the boys for putting so much time and effort, and enduring the 7:00 am practices.  You have made this season very enjoyable, and  I wish you all the best in other sports you will be playing at CDG and in your classwork.  I also want to say a special thank you to student manager, Greg v. for all his help this season.   He helped the team with all his positive encouragement, cheering and great statistical analysis.  Also, thank you to all the parents who took the time to get the boys to all the games and practices, for those who got the boys water, and for the encouragement.  Finally a big thank you again to Mr. Buki, Mr. Baruta, Mr.Cervo, Mr. Dudzik, and Mr. McTaggart for all their help with refereeing during the season and our tournament.   “Coach Klim”

The Gr. 8 Girls finished their season 4 - 7.  Coaches Schafer and Cervo were very pleased with the improvements in offensive and defensive play as the season progressed. Jaslyen Singh and Jacquie Tourand led offensive and defensive categories.  The Gr. 7 Girls sit at 3 - 3 with one game to play.  Ashley St. Jean and Madison Gibbs continue to lead a great group of girls.  Gr. 7 Boys finished their exhibition season with a game against Fraser on Thursday.  Gr. 6 Boys and Girls teams also finished their exhibition schedule this week.  Gr. 6 athletes have played more games this year than ever thanks to coaches Kevin Godden, Bruce Glum and Cheryl Frank.

Grade 8 student Sunny D. competed in the BC School Wrestling Championships this past weekend in Surrey.  Fighting senior high school wrestlers in a very difficult weight class, he placed 5 out of 21 wrestlers.  All those placing ahead of him were in Gr. 11 or 12.  Next year Sunny will be in Gr. 9 and will be a  favourite  to win a medal at  the Provincials.

Boys and Girls Rugby teams are in full training mode, preparing for league play set to begin in April.  Game days will be most Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Check with the rugby players for home game times and come out for some good Captain Crunch entertainment.

Grade 9 course planning for our Grade 8 students after Spring Break
Counselors from Mouat Secondary will be at the school on the morning of Tuesday, March 27th and then again on Monday, April 2nd to provide information to our Grade 8 students regarding course planning for next September.  Parents of Grade 8 students can expect that their son/daughter will be bringing a course planning form home the first week after Spring Break that will require parents and guardians assist their child in the selection of courses for the following school year.  Also, our Gr. 8 students are slated to visit Mouat for an orientation on Thursday,  March 29th

Spring Break/Days In Lieu
Students in Abbotsford will once again experience a two week break starting next Monday, March 12th.  The first week will be Days in Lieu brought about by  having longer days in session through the school year.  The second week follows the Ministry of Education calendar for Spring Break. Classes will resume on Monday, March 26th.

February Student of the Month
Congratulations to Jacqueline Tourand who was named our Kiwanis Grade 8 Student of the Month for February.  Jacqueline is an outstanding student, a wonderful citizen of the school, has represented the school in basketball and rugby and has provided numerous hours of service after school as a timekeeper and scorekeeper for our basketball  program.

Band News
The band students are on to their next fundraiser.  The Neufeld Farm Chicken and More Fundraiser is due into Ms. Norton by Tuesday March 6th.   The pickup date will be Wednesday, March 28th at 2:30 pm.  Any Aladdin crew or cast who sold products must make arrangements for someone else to pick up their order. If you are interested in purchasing any products, contact any band student or Ms. Norton.

School District #34 Nights of Music at Abby Arts next week
The Abbotsford School District will be hosting a series of evening concerts next week at the Abbotsford Arts Center to promote the many fine music programs that exist in our schools.   The CDG jazz band and choir are performing at the Abbotsford Nights of Music on Monday, March 5th at Abbey Arts Centre.  They will perform on their own, and the choir will also participate in a massed choir performance with other schools.  The concert starts at 7:00 pm with our groups slated to perform at the beginning of the night   Come out and support our musicians.  Everyone is welcome!

Website to Note
Parents .... check out the School District's Modern Languages Website. New resource for parents - http://www.abbynet.sd34.bc.ca/modernlanguages

NOON HOUR SUPERVISORS: THANK YOU!
We have several ladies who assist us each lunch hour with the supervision of our 600 plus students.  We wanted to give these ladies a very public thank you and we are hopeful that if you know any of them/see them that you will also pass along your appreciation.  Thank you to: Mrs. Firouzeh Bahraini, Mrs. Betty Balzer, Mrs. Nancy Friesen, Mrs. Lynn Karey-McKenna, Mrs. Margie Peters, Mrs. Whileen Plantenga, Mrs. Doretha Plett, Ms. Darcy Shields, Mrs. Mandy Wiebe and Mrs. Cindy Williams.

Art Starts presentation at our school on Friday, March 9th
Our students and French Immersion students from our feeder elementary schools  will be treated to a musical presentation from I Tromboni on Friday, March 9th. In the morning I Tromboni's presentation will be in the French language for all of our French Immersion students and French Immersion students in Grades 4 and 5.  In the afternoon our English track students will be treated to the same presentation in English.

Congratulations to Melanie B!
Each year for over a decade the School District has hosted a Science Fair at the Seven Oaks Mall. Schools are asked to send representatives from their school to this event.  There is a competitive aspect to Science Fair and awards are given to exemplary projects.  This year Grade 7 Early French Immersion students Melanie B. received extra recognition.  Melanie received the Canadian Parents for French award for her project on preservation of tulips.

Den Closure Reminder
Reminder that Friday, March 9th is the last day our Den lunch program (in the Home Ec Room) will be in operation for this school year. Our Canteen (in the MPR) will remain open.  If your child has a credit or credits still left on his/her Den Card  after closing day a refund cheque will be mailed to you. Thank you for your participation in this program.

Spelling Bee
On Thursday March 1st, at W.A. Fraser, students from Grades 6, 7, and 8 will be representing Chief Dan George at the District Spelling Bee.  The following students will be participating:  in Grade 6: Natalie C., Elizabeth J., Sameer Q., Jory S.; in Grade 7:  Grace T., Brett H., Renee H.; and in grade 8:  Cassandra B.. 

Aladdin News

We will be providing all students in the school an opportunity to attend a free of charge field trip to view a matinee performance of  our school production, Aladdin on Thursday, April 5th.  Tickets  for both evening  productions are free and can be picked up at the office.  Get  your  tickets to ensure  a seat.

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March 29, 2007

Upcoming Dates to Note
Apr 2 - Gr. 9 Course Planning
Apr 2 - PAC Meeting - 7:00 pm
Apr 3 - District Final Concours d'art oratoire
Apr 6 - Good Friday (NO SCHOOL)
Apr 9 - Easter Monday (NO SCHOOL)
Apr 14 - Bowling for Bursaries (Galaxy Bowl)
Apr 20 - Pro-D (NO SCHOOL)
May 14 - CPF AGM (Clearbrook Elementary)

April 20th-Non-instructional day for elementary and middle schools
The last non-instructional day of this school year for elementary and middle school students will take place on Friday, April 20th.  Classes will not be session on that day and many of our staff will be attending the annual Middle Years conference held this year in Coquitlam.

Aladdin Tickets - Free!!           
Don't miss out!  If you and your family are looking for something fun to do together, come join us for an enjoyable evening April 4th or 5th at the Abby Arts Centre.  TICKETS ARE FREE!!  Just come into the office and ask for as many as you would like.  Tickets will be available at the door but only if they are not all taken.  Guarantee your seats to this big Chief Dan George event by getting your tickets early. If you want tickets for either night but can not make it down to the school to pick them up, just send a note to school with your child stating how many tickets you would like and for which night.  You do not need to have a child performing in the play to come.  This is a total school event open to all.   Our students  have worked really hard and are now ready and excited to perform their musical.  It will be an amazing evening filled with bright colours, exotic costumes and upbeat melodies.     
 
GRADE 8 TRANSITIONS TO HIGH SCHOOL
All of the high schools in Abbotsford are in the process of beginning transition activities for their September 2007 Grade 9 class.  Most of our students are slated to attend W.J. Mouat in the fall.  This week our Grade 8 students received a presentation from Mouat counselors and were sent home with paperwork around course selection for next year.  We would hope that all parents and guardians of our Grade 8 students spend some time dealing with that this week.  The Mouat counselors will be returning to our school next Monday, April 2nd to collect the paperwork and provide our students with more information. In addition, our Grade 8 students attended an afternoon orientation at Mouat Secondary on Thursday, March 29th.  Grade 8 students who are looking at registering at other high schools in Abbotsford in September need to have their parents contact those schools directly to check on seat availability and any transition activities those schools might be offering this spring.

GRADE 5 TRANSITIONS TO OUR SCHOOL
Administration and student leaders of this school have been, and will continue to, make presentations at PAC  meetings of our feeder schools this month and next.  Our vice principal, Mrs. Fladager, along with members of our Learning Support Services team, will also be visiting our elementary feeder schools during the month of April to promote our program offerings here at CDG.  In addition, plans are in place for an early May orientation of Grade 5 students who will enter our Grade 6 program in September.   

REMINDER ABOUT CLOTHING,  iPODS AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES
Grade group meetings were held with students on the first day after Spring Break.  On the agenda were a variety of items pertaining to school rules, expectations and upcoming opportunities.  We continue to require parent and guardian support around electronic devices at the school.  We would ask that parents not send their children to school with these items unless they are absolutely necessary for communication (e.g. cell phones).  If your child has been given your permission to have a cell phone at school then we would ask that your reinforce our expectations that the phone not be brought to class, but should be placed in the locker during the day and only used outside at the end of the day to communicate with you.  Further, we also require your assistance to maintaining a proper learning environment tone with regards to clothing.  With warmer weather around the corner we would ask that you monitor your child to ensure that their clothing meets the dress code standards of the school and School District. 

YEARBOOKS ARE COMING!
Presales of 2006-2007 yearbooks have started this week.  If you would like to pre-order one please send $20 (either cash or cheque) to the office where your child will sign the order sheet and receive a voucher (please keep voucher in a safe place).

LOST & FOUND ITEMS - PLEASE CLAIM!
Each classroom in our school will be viewing the many items that have accumulated in our Lost & Found bin in our Multi-Purpose Room on Monday, April 2nd. We will be bagging these items up on Wednesday, April 4th and donating them to a local charity.  Please remind your child to check out the bin  or do come in, yourself, at the end of the school day to check through the items.  There are several rather expensive looking belongings in the bin.

Props are needed for Aladdin. 
Looking for: a quill pen, and a wood table approximately 2’ x 2’.  If you have either  of these items that you can lend the school, please contact Mr. Lilly.

Class Pictures on Friday, April 13th
Jostens photographers will be returning to our school on Friday, April 13th to take homeroom class pictures.  Each student will receive a complementary copy of the picture later in the spring.

DEN refund cheques are in the mail

Chess Team
On March 18th, eight of our students represented CDGMS at the Fraser Valley Chess Tournament held at Earl Marriot Secondary in South Surrey. Sameer Q, Colin W, Joe S, and Justin S made up our Grade 6/7 team. By the end of the tournament, Sameer managed to take the third place trophy after playing against Colin in the playoffs. Although we were one player short of forming a team, our Grade 8 team, which consisted of Kyle P, Justin L, Jacquie T and Walker B, took the second place trophy in the secondary school category. The chess coach was extremely proud of the way all the players conducted themselves at the tournament. Our team's next tournament will be right here at Chief Dan George Middle School on May 26th. Each year, our school hosts a tournament that is open to all K-12 schools in the Lower Mainland and Lower Fraser Valley. Our tournament is one of largest of its kind in BC with an average turnout of over 200 players.


Concours d'art oratoire at Matsqui Auditorium 6:00-8:30 pm-April 2nd
The annual School District Concours d'art oratoire (French public speaking) will take place next Tuesday, April 2nd at Matsqui Auditorium.  The morning will be devoted to elementary school students and the evening to middle and high school students. The evening portion will begin at 6:00 pm.  The top performers in each grade and category will represent the District in a provincial competition later in the spring.
                                   
CPF Bowling for Bursaries - April 14th
Canadian Parents for French request your support.  Each year they hold an evening "Bowling for Bursaries" fundraiser  at Galaxy Bowl in Abbotsford.  All funds raised go toward bursaries for graduating students  of the District's French Immersion program.  There are a number of ways that you can assist this worthy cause.  They include donations toward a Silent Auction, sponsoring a lane ($40), and/or participating as an individual bowler ($15) or entering as a member of a team ($90).  Please contact CPF president Ms. Donna Maud (604-852-9133) or CPF school representative Mrs. Susan Asaph (604-864-6309).

KEY COMMUNICATORS, who represent each school's Parent Advisory Council, meet with the Superintendent several times during the school year.  The purpose of these meetings is to provide information of interest to parents.  Key Communicators then disseminate the information to their respective PAC’s.  The next meeting is scheduled for 9:30 am, Wednesday, April 4th  at the School Board Office (2790 Tims Street).  ALL parents are welcome to attend.

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April 18, 2007

Upcoming Dates to Note
Apr 20     Pro-D (NO SCHOOL)
Apr 30     May 4 - Literacy Week
May 2      Grade 5  Visitation @ 9:30 am
May 10    School Track and Field Meet
May 14     CPF AGM (Clearbrook Elementary)
May 21    Victoria Day (NO SCHOOL)
May 30     Open House for Grade 5  Parents  @ 6:30 pm

School Professional Development Day on Friday, April 20
Most elementary and middle schools in Abbotsford will not be holding classes on Friday, April 20th.  For our school this will be the last professional development day this year.  Many staff will be attending the annual Middle Years Conference which is being hosted by the Coquitlam School District at the end of this week.

Wolves Athletics News
Rugby season is well underway with the Boys posting a record of 2-0-1 and the Girls 1-2-0 after three games.  Community coaches Marius Weideman and Troy Ganzeveldt are very pleased with how the boys are improving their knowledge of a very challenging game.  Micheal K., Michael B., Jonathan W. and Mitchel V. are leading the team this year in a much improved league.  Girls coach Shawn Hagen is leading a team of very enthusiastic girls who continue to improve and play hard every game.  Lexie B., Lynai G., Jacquie T. and Megan V. provide much needed leadership.  Boys play this Thursday, April 19th at 2:45 pm away to Abby Middle.  The Girls were home to Abby Middle on Tuesday, April 17th.

Track and Field practices started this week under the direction of Mr. Baruta and his coaching staff.  Practice schedules are posted around the school and on the gym doors for students and parents to check.  There will be specific days for individual events so be sure to check practice schedules.  The CDG School Track and Field Meet is set for Thursday, May 10th at Rotary Stadium.  If any parents are available to help please contact Mr. McTaggart at the school to leave your name and contact information.  The District  Middle School Track and Field Meet is scheduled for Thursday, May 31st at Rotary Stadium.

Wolves Racing News
The CDGMS Drag Racing Team has been very busy preparing the dragsters for this coming Friday's 'Test and Tune' at Mission Raceway Park. One of our sponsors, New World Technologies, has loaned us a junior dragster for the season. We now have three dragsters that we race. Since the very start of the program five years ago, our team has been undefeated. Out of the two seasons that we have competed in, we have two provincial titles under our belts and hope to make this season a third. Our team has five new members this year, and hopefully they will have a chance to get some experience behind the wheel.

For those of you who may not know about junior dragsters, these vehicles can be driven by any person over the age of 8, with no driver's license required. The cars are very safe as they have built-in roll cages and other safety features. They are relatively light and are powered by highly modified Briggs and Stratton lawn mower engines. Depending on the modifications, junior dragsters can reach speeds of up to 80 miles per hour at the end of only an 1/8 of a mile. All of our dragsters run on alcohol and are low to medium speed dragsters. Our fastest dragster will go up to 70 miles per hour, while our slowest runs at around 45 miles per hour.

For safety, our drivers wear a fire jacket, neck brace, Snell certified helmet, and Nomex gloves. The drivers are strapped in using a quick release, 5 point harness and wrist restraints. The dragsters themselves come with a minimum of two emergency shut off switches, one being a mechanical type. Our drag racing team is part of the BC Secondary School Motorsports Association (BCSSMA). One of the founding members of the association is Mr. Richard Johnson, who runs the Mouat Racing Team. Mr. Johnson has provided our team with a lot of advice and support - part of why we are a winning team.

Our students not only get the opportunity to drive the vehicles, but to work on them as well. When the students are not driving, they are part of the pit crew. The pit crew maintain the vehicles at all times. Everything from bleeding the brakes to changing the oil. There's always something shaking loose from all the vibration. Aside from the obvious mechanical skills they gain, the students also learn to think on their feet and work as a team.

School Planning Council Update
All public schools in British Columbia have a Ministry of Education mandated School Planning Council.  The major role of this group is to assist in identifying school goals each year as well as assist in developing strategies and accountability measures around those goals.  Although we attend to many things at this school  our major focus in recent years has been around literacy skills,  with a specific focus on reading comprehension.  The School Planning Council contains parent representation and this year our parent community has been represented by Mrs. Janet Weston, Mrs. Joanne Craven and Mrs. Lee-Ann Hamel.   The S.P.C. is now beginning a new cycle as we look toward the following school year.  The S.P.C. will combine accountability data and input from staff to identify areas to place extra emphasis on in the coming school year.

User Pay Bus
Pre-registration is now taking place for families who wish to use the service next school year. The form is  to be completed and returned to the Transportation Office no later than May 15th, 2007 in order for your student to be considered for User Pay bussing in September 2007. (If easier for you, please send the form to Donna at our school office and she will forward to transportation for you.) The completion of the form does not guarantee a seat on the bus, however, in order to arrange for bus routes for September they require advance registration. Forms are available for pickup in our school office.

A special thank you from Mr. Lilly and Ms. Norton
We  would like to thank all those involved in our musical "Aladdin Jr.".  It was a huge success.  We have received numerous rave reviews and are grateful for all the help you gave.  Thank you all so much.  

We have a few props remaining in the Home Ec room that still need to be picked up.  Please contact me to arrange a time to get them.  A digital camera went missing during the hustle and bustle of tearing down the set on Thursday night.  Could everyone involved in the tear down please check their vehicles to see if it was mistakenly placed in one of them by mistake.
 
PUBLIC SPEAKING CORNER

Semi-Finals
On April 17th, grade 6 students, Carly P, Mia A and Katie H represented Chief Dan George at the public speaking semi-finals for the Abbotsford District.  Carly and Mia delivered great speeches as did Katie.   Katie moves on to the district  finals  May 1st  against nine other grade 6’s in the district. Congratulations to all three girls! Representing grade 7 students were: Taylor Hampton, William L, and Reilly E.  Reilly will continue on to the finals and represent Chief Dan George Middle School at Yale Theatre on May 1st.  Way to go grade 7 speakers!

Winners of Concours  d'art oratoire  (French Public Speaking) Gr. 6-8

Grade 6 Early Immersion
1st place: Jory S
2nd place: Sebastian M
3rd place: Danielle D

Grade 6 Francophone
1st place: Michelle A
2nd place: Natalie C
3rd place: Taylor P

Grade 7 Early Immersion
1st place: Nicole P
2nd place: Kelly B
3rd place: Hudson L

Grade 7 Late Immersion
1st place: Grace T
2nd place: Megan L
3rd place: Taylor M

Grade 7 Francophone
1st place: Danika B
2nd place: Mitch F
3rd place: Jordan J

Grade 8  Immersion
1st place: Brea M
2nd place: Jaslyen S
3rd place: Alyssa H

Grade 8 Francophone
1st place: Joshua D
2nd place: Sanjezz S
3rd place: Tristan P

*** Please note that the first place finisher in each category will represent CDG and the Abbotsford School District in the Provincial competition next month.

Student of the Month for March - Luke F
Luke was  nominated for this award by several teachers for  his very strong academic performance, great attitude and support of others and his contributions to the extracurricular sports program representing the school in volleyball, basketball and rugby.  His  teachers describe him as a very well rounded student and a great role model for others.

Chess News
The CDGMS chess club will start its annual "best of" chess tournament this week. The top chess student in each grade will receive a trophy and will have their name immortalized onto the plaque (15 year perpetual) we have in the school. All students are invited to come and play on Tuesdays and Thursdays at lunch in the library. Students will be given a form to fill out to record the number of wins/defeats and the names of their opponents. In June, the scores will be tallied and the winners will be announced at the end of the year. To qualify for the trophy a player must have played a minimum of ten games against opponents in their grade. Winners will be determined by their wins versus games played.

Our 5th Annual CDGMS Chess Tournament is coming up soon. This is a chess tournament that attracts players from all over the Lower Mainland and Lower Fraser Valley - one of the biggest of its kind. If any students are interested in helping out as volunteers for this tournament, please see Mr. Sakai. You do not need to play chess to volunteer. The tournament will be held on May 26th(Saturday). Before volunteering, make sure you realize that you will be needed all day from approximately 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Lunch will be provided.

Spelling Bee
On March 1st the following students represented Chief Dan George at the District Spelling Bee:

Grade 6:  Natalie C, Sameer Q and Jory S
Grade 7:  Grace T, Brett H, Renee H
Grade 8:  Cassandra B

Three of our students successfully placed in the top three in their grade:
Grade 6:  Sameer Q placed 3rd
Grade 7:  Grace T placed 1st and Brett H placed 3rd
Congratulations to all of the Chief Dan George contestants.

Bottle Drive Thank You
Division 22 thanks parents and the community for helping to raise $686.50 during the bottle drive to support BC Childrens Hospital.

DISTRICT ART SHOW
When:        Now until April 21st
Where:      Seven Oaks Mall   
Hours:       During Mall hours 

Stop by to see the talented work of many of our district's students.  The following Chief Dan George students have their artwork on display this week: Jordon S, Julie V, Ritu G, Amy L, Stuart B, Rebecca P, Michael B, Khristen H, Laura B, Victoria T, Alice P, Charles H and Fiona D.

FV Regional Science Fair Canadian Parents for French Award
Congratulations to Melanie B  for her outstanding project and winner of a $50.00 award courtesy of C.P.F.

Call us!
Please remember to call the school office (or email joanne_mcmillan@sd34.bc.ca or donna_hollanti@sd34.bc.ca) if your child/ren will be absent or late for school. As we have to account for every child in the morning for safety reasons, calling 20 or more parents each morning takes a considerable amount of time. Your call to us saves us so much time and is very much appreciated. Thank you.

ArtStarts Performance Here
Our last Art Starts performance will be this Monday, April 23rd at 1:00 pm in the gym.  The Chucky Danger Band is a young and hip rock band with a dynamic and energetic stage show that the students will enjoy.  Everyone is welcome!

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