The Bully and the Beanstalk

The McMurrich School Council Enrichment Committee has booked Michael McMurtry for Tuesday morning on November 17th for children in grades 1 through 6. He will be doing a one man show called "The Bully and the Beanstalk."

"On his first day at a new school, Jack gets bullied. Fearful for his safety, Jack decides to leave and spend the day at home doing chores. But when Jack goes to the market to sell their only cow, an adventure begins that leads him to confront the biggest ‘bully’ of them all. The Bully and the Beanstalk is a compelling exploration of the bullying cycle, seen through the lens of the fairy tale classic. The play teaches a valuable lesson about empathy, self-assertion and ‘inner’ strength, and features McMurtry’s signature parade of colourful characters, clever staging and more audience participation than ever before. A magical coming-of-age story that will captivate audiences of all ages."

Michael McMurtry performed "Cinderfella" at McMurrich two years ago, and was a big hit. He's great at interacting with the audience, and does a good job of speaking to all the different age groups. We are pleased to be able to bring him back! Thanks to the McMurrich School Council Enrichment Team for organizing, and to the Fundraising Team for all their hard work to make this possible.

You can learn more about Michael at www.mikemcmurtry.com.

Pizza Lunch Pizzazz!

Friday, October 30 is our first Pizza Lunch for grades 1-6! Forms have gone out with the kids, so check your child's backpack. Just in case, there are extra forms in the office. This is a Parent Council Initiative aimed at raising funds for the students.

As you know we are in a work-to-rule situation, so volunteers are taking on more of the form distribution/collection duties as well as the money collection. Please return your form by the deadline of TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27.

Late forms make planning and ordering pizza difficult - so we cannot accept any forms/payment after this date. Don't forget to SIGN your child's form authorizing them to have the pizza!

If you would like to volunteer at PIZZA LUNCH we always welcome a spare set of hands or two, and it is great fun handing pizza out to hungry children. Email Alison at alimer1012@gmail.com. If you're only available once in awhile that's great too!, we always need an on-call list.

PIZZA LUNCH AND KINDERS
There has been interest in starting a pizza lunch for the kinders. In order to do this we need a set of kindergarten parents to oversee it. We already have some interest but we need one to two people to run the admin (form distribution), and an extra 1-2 to have on site at the lunch itself. Time commitment is about 5 hours a month when there is a pizza lunch. The existing Pizza Committee will train and support as needed. If you are interested, email Alison at alimer1012@gmail.com.

School Council Meeting Wednesday October 28th

Please come out to our next School Council meeting, Wednesday, October 28, at 7 o'clock, in the McMurrich Library.

There will be updates from council, a discussion on the 2015-2016 budget and an up from the principal.

Additionally, there will be a presentation on IEPs. Our Principal Nicole Lee and Vice Principal Susie Stamatopoulos will draw on their Special Education expertise and provide parents with an overview of Individualized Education Plans or IEPs including:
• When does a student get an IEP?
• How does the assessment process work?
• What are the components or sections of an IEP?
• What does the teacher consider when drafting an IEP?
• What’s the difference between accommodations and modifications?
• What’s the annual cycle?
• What is your role as a parent?
There will be refreshments available, and free childcare provided across the hall in Room 103.
 
Everyone is welcome and we look forward to seeing you!