As the year is winding down, we are asking that parents/guardians kindly look around home and return any items to the RVS library that are outstanding.  RVS library books all would have a bar code on the front cover.  Thanks for all of your cooperation and help getting the books back to our library. 

It was a wonderful evening to celebrate our RVS athletes at the RVS Sports Banquet.  Every year in June, we take time to celebrate our student athletes. Many awards were given out for sports ranging from soccer, volleyball, basketball, track and field, and badminton.  
Congratulations to all of the students who took home an award and for all of the students who prioritize sport as a key element of school.
​BIG thanks to all of the organizers of this event.  

Assessment week continues this week. Please take a look at the exam schedule to see what is going on for the week.  We encourage students to complete any unfinished work and get it into their teachers as soon as possible.  Thank you for your cooperation.

Are you ready to be blown away by the talent of RVS students? We invite you to join us for this musical snack this Wednesday, June 19th.  Seating is limited...make sure you arrive early to grab a seat. :) Show starts at 2:15pm.

The RVS Graduation ceremony is at 3pm on Saturday, June 22nd.  The graduation ceremony will be in the RVS gymnasium.  Let's celebrate the Grad Class of 2024!

The Grade 9 students went to see a Goldeye's game as a Grade 9 grade group.  The students came back to the school with excitement about the experience and it turned out to be a great weather day! Special thanks to Mr.Rempel and Mr.Mirza for organizing this event for students.

Caleb Rempel visited Mr.Rempel's class to speak to students about working for Canada Border Services agency and his career path.  The Lifework class focuses on exposing students to different career paths, exploring careers, and connecting their own interests to their future.

Our K-8 students participated in a wide range of activities to celebrate the Jump Rope for Heart day.  Special thanks to Mr.Slaney for organizing this event and the Grade 7/8s for helping set up the activities.  Jump Rope for Heart is a school event where students discover fun ways to get active and practice healthy habits while helping others by raising money to help beat heart disease and stroke.  Thank you for everyone who participated!

  Mr.Peterson, Mrs.Collette, and Katherine Beaudoin led the Grade 12 students through the PATH process last week.  The PATH process is a planning tool used to help people reflect about their future while being in the present moment.  The PATH focuses on locating your north star, what is positive and possible, what is happening now, who you can count on for help, and what are the short term and long-term goals you want to achieve.  
Grade 12 students provided positive feedback about the experience. We hope this process will benefit our students who will be transitioning to adulthood. Every student walked away with their own PATH to keep.

Our Grade 7/8 students will be celebrating our last Roots of Empathy class of the year.  They will be celebrating Rylee's 1st birthday for the last visit! 
This class has been able to see Rylee learn and grow over the last year. Some of the topics covered during the year were emotions, communication, caring for a baby, growth and change, soothing strategies, and safety.
We will miss seeing Rylee and we are so thankful to former RVS teacher, Jen Penner, for sharing Rylee with us every month!

The last family cook night is Thursday, June 6th! We are FULL! Thanks for all who signed up.

The next RVS Paint Night will be on Tuesday, June 4th for all RVS graduates and community members.  If you are interested in attending, please reach out to Mrs.Fisher at [email protected]. 

We had Nutrien's Seed Survivor visit the school and speak to our K-8 classes about EVERYTHING agriculture! The experience was interactive and students had many questions about how technology has changed farming.  One of the topics that was discussed was how robotics has changed dairy farming. 
It was very engaging and interesting and can't wait for them to come back again someday!

The RVS Grade 5/6 students have the opportunity to go to the Annual Gathering of Friends Education Celebration on Friday May 17th, 2024.
The Gathering has 3 goals:
·To contribute to the continued cultural vitality of Roseau River Anishinaabe First Nation
·To provide, in the spirit of sharing, a unique opportunity for members of neighboring communities to learn about our community Ojibwe culture and First Nation’s history in Canada.
·To build and strengthen relationships – between Ginew School and Roseau River community members and between Roseau River and neighboring communities in Southern Manitoba.
           
There will be no cost to going to the Gathering of Friends and the transportation will be provided from RVS to Ginew and back.   Lunch will be provided for students. 
If your child is in Grade 5/6, please make sure they have handed in their permission forms. 
 

Mr.Mateychuk organized a bubble ball experience for students in the gym this week. Lots of laughs were had and students loved the activity. Thanks for all the students who came out to participate.

Tirrell Thomas will be at RVS tomorrow to speak to youth about his career in the music industry and how resiliency, hope, and growth mindset got him to where he is today.
Tirrell will speak to Grade 7-12 students from 2:00-3:00pm in the RVS Gym.  He will also share a few songs.
Tirrell grew up on Roseau River Anishinaabe First Nation and is excited to come and share his story with others.

Just a reminder that the free Subway lunch is this Wednesday! If you didn't get your order form in on time, no need to worry. We have ordered extra! Please connect with Mrs.Lamont if you would like a free sub on Wednesday.
BIG THANKS to Subway in Altona for accommodating our school with these big orders.

Do you have children in your home between the age 0-5? We hope that you will register for the Early Year's Learning Fair at the RVS Gym.  If you have any questions about the event, please reach out to [email protected].

Seed Survivor is coming to Roseau Valley School on May 9th for K-8 students.
Nutrien Ltd. is teaching the next generation about growing healthy plants and where food comes from through Seed Survivor. In partnership with Agriculture in the Classroom - Manitoba, Nutrien’s Seed Survivor display is visiting RVS!
Visitors to the Seed Survivor Mobile Classroom have an opportunity to compete as virtual farmers, dig for real fossils (and learn how they relate to agriculture), and even plant a sunflower seed to take home and grow.
The mobile classrooms tour North America year-round.
“Every year, our Seed Survivor program reaches approximately 100,000 students across North America,” says Chloe Sprecker, Nutrien’s Program Advisor. “Our hope is to get children interested in agriculture, build their confidence in growing healthy plants, and understand where their food comes from.”

We all have the capacity to be compassionate, and we know that doing so can make an enormous difference. This year’s Mental Health Week is centered on the healing power of compassion. 

RVS is hosting activities on Friday, May 10th to support Mental Health Awareness Month by promoting strategies that promote wellness.  These activities will take place in the afternoon for K-6 and 7-12.

​​

(Article by Judy Peters, Steinbach Online)
The Culture Showcase at Roseau Valley School in Dominion City drew a lot of attention with people raving about the celebration of diversity. 
Vice-principal Jennifer Collette says the event was run like a mini Folklorama with a variety of pavilions. 
“We had a parent who was running the German pavilion and she said, ‘This is my anniversary today of when we came to Canada.’” 
Collette says the woman came prepared to share her culture with the community. 
Daniela Driedger was born in Germany, just south of Stuttgart. When she was 10 years old, she and her parents along with her three siblings made Canada their home. 
“She had so many artifacts of where she was from and the clothing that they would have worn as children.” 
There were eight pavilions, and Collette says they tried a great variety of food.

“At the French-Canadian pavilion, our French teacher and their class made crepes and poutine for everybody. So, everyone got to have a sample. At the Anishinaabe pavilion, we had a parent, Nicole Atkinson, she made all the fry bread and bannock for that. At the Germany pavilion, they had pretzels and sauerkraut. For the Ukrainian pavilion, the museum in Gardenton actually came and they presented a lot of artifacts from the museum, and then they brought Paska bread and we had perogies and sour cream. At the Mauritian pavilion, that student prepared quite a bit of food there as well, and some special drinks that they would have there. And Chilean, I made homemade salsa with a student. It was pretty spicy,” she adds with a laugh. “So, we did the salsa there. And New Zealand... the teacher who was in charge of the pavilion made a dish that would be a Samoan dish. And then the Red River Métis, they had berries and that kind of stuff for kids to try, different types of blackberries and blueberries. So, I think everyone was really full when they left here.”
​
Grade 7/8 Class at Roseau Valley School with David Smith and Shelley Johnston from Triple R and Community Futures from Morris who helped sponsor the event. Vice Principal Jennifer Collette says the students were instrumental in planning and executing the event. (Photo submitted)Cultural entertainment on the main stage was also captivating. Collette says the Culture Showcase was a real celebration of diversity. 
“For us, we feel that is really, really important. It fosters inclusion and understanding and respect amongst different cultures and identities and creates a stronger and more vibrant community. It just helps to develop empathy and understanding of everyone around you.” 
Collette says the Culture Showcase on May 1st was part of the Southern Health-Sante Sud “Love My Community” Challenge. 
“They actually showed up yesterday to come see what it was all about and they were like, ‘Wow! How did you put this together so quickly?’ They were just totally amazed at the response from the community. We had community members who came in and we had Community Futures Triple R, they saw the poster for the event and said, ‘We want to sponsor this, this is an amazing idea, how come this hasn't been done in southern Manitoba?’” 
With such a strong response from the school community and the public, Collette anticipates holding this event again, but with evening hours to make it easier for the public to experience the different cultures in the community.

This week RVS is hosting a bingo night! Come and hangout at RVS with a chance to win some amazing prizes! Hope to see you there!

If families are having trouble accessing report cards, we kindly ask that you call the school so we can support you with this.  All report cards are loaded to the Powerschool Parent Portal. If you are needing more information on how to get set up with the Parent Portal, Mrs.French or Mrs.Collette can help set this up!
​
We were happy to see many families this past week for student-led conferences!

Ms.Silva is gearing up for the second edition of our school newspaper and on the lookout for some fantastic content straight from our amazing students.
 
If any of your students have produced remarkable work in the form of poetry, paintings, photographs, opinion pieces, or anything else that you find intriguing, I'd love to feature it in our upcoming issue. 
 
Please send over any materials you'd like us to consider for publication to me at [email protected] by April 24th.
 
When sending materials, include the following details for each piece:
 
Student's Name
Grade/Class
Title of the Work
A brief description (optional)
 
Thanks for all your support!

Just a reminder that report cards are now available online on the PowerSchool Parent Portal. If you are having a difficult time navigating logging in or knowing where the report cards are located within the portal, please call us at the school and we will be happy to assist you with that.

Parents are able to book their Student-Led Conference times as well. Conferences will take place on:

Thursday, April 19th from 5-8pm
Friday, April 19th from 9-2pm. 
If you have any questions, please contact us at the school at 204-427-2143 or email [email protected] 
​

April 10th was an exciting day at RVS as we hosted our FREE Subway lunch for all students from K-12.  Students were able to pick toppings from a list and create their own sub.  Special thanks to everyone for getting their forms in.  

Do you have a school-wide lunch idea?  We would love to hear it! Please email your ideas to [email protected].

Did you know that Roseau Valley School applied for a grant that focused on mental well-being and reconnecting community with nature?  The grant will allow us to build an Eco-Trail that starts at Roseau Valley School and loops behind the Dominion City Golf Course.  We would like to thank Southern Health -Santé Sud and  Municipality of Emerson Franklin for their partnership.
Mrs.Felsch's K-2 class and Mr.Cote's woodworking class will be creating the Eco-Trail. We are excited for this community project that promotes health and well-being.

Pictured Below: Leigh Finney from Southern Health-Santé Sud presenting Mrs.Collette with the grant funds for the approved project.

Our Grade 7/8 students are wanting to participate in the Southern Health-Sante Sud “Love My Community” campaign that runs until May 10th. 
 
An idea that we are exploring is helping create a culture showcase similar to Folklorama.  Students have indicated a variety of different cultures that could be showcased at this event. We are contacting community members and organizations to see if they would be willing to showcase their culture.  Our Grade 7/8 students are wondering if families would be willing to participate in showcasing any element of their culture to our community at large?
The date of the event would be the morning of May 1st, 2024 and run from 9:15am to 11:15am.
Students and community members would travel to different pavilions to learn about specific cultures.
 
The students indicated that some ways culture could be showcased is through teachings, food, artifacts, storytelling, and traditions (dancing, clothing,etc).
 
If you would be willing to help the facilitation of this pavilion, we ask that you contact Mrs.Collette at [email protected] or at the school at 204-427-2143.
 

Here are a few samples of some of the beautiful art work from our K-2s and Grade 3/4s.  
The K-2s read a story called "Giraffes Can't Dance" and the Grade 3/4s created this art that was inspired by: "The Raven Steals the Light."

 (see Apr. 3rd, 2024
 
TO:     The RVS Community
 RE:     Solar Eclipse – Monday, April 8, 2024
 
A total solar eclipse is set to occur on April 8, 2024, between approximately noon and 3 p.m. Central Standard Time, spanning from Southern Ontario to Newfoundland and Labrador, with the rest of Canada experiencing a partial eclipse. Manitoba will experience an approximate 50 percent occlusion eclipse. 

This is an awe-inspiring event that will draw the gaze of people; however, there is a risk of permanent vision damage if proper precautions are not taken. Even a brief look at the partially eclipsed sun can result in permanent damage.
 
RVS will be taking the following measures to address the risk for students that day:

• Teachers and support staff will educate the students on the risks of viewing the eclipse on between Apr.1 and 4, with review the morning of Apr. 8.
• The basic expectation will be that students will remain indoors from 12:00-3:30pm
  • Blinds and window coverings will be used from 12:00-3:30pm.
• Outdoor activities will not be planned from 12:00-3:30pm
  • Outdoor recess for K to 8 students will be changed to 11:30pm to 12:00pm.
  • K to 8 students will remain in their classrooms from 12:00 to 1:00pm on indoor recess.
• High School classes will follow the usual timetable, with indoor breaks.

 
There are several online resources to support this event.  They include:
 
Eclipse Map of North America (choose your location)

• https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8

Live Stream of the Eclipse from NASA

• https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/live/

Live Stream of the Eclipse from Space.com

• Total solar eclipse 2024: How to watch online for free | Space

 
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Mrs. Collette or I at RVS.           
Mr. Mateychuk

This is a free program! If you are interested in learning a new recipe, come and join us at Ginew School this week! Participants need to pre-register with Mrs.Fisher. Please email [email protected] 

Did you know that RVS has a Chess Club? We have invited three other schools to participate in our chess tournament that we are hosting on May 17th! BIG thanks to Mr.Rempel and Mr.Liu for organizing this event.  

Just a gentle reminder that our first Subway lunch is this Wednesday, April 10th.  We ask that families send extra snacks their child may require in addition to the free lunch. Thanks for everyone who got their forms in! Didn't get your form in? Please see Mrs.Collette.

RVS school has been chosen as a host site for the Co-operative Youth Leadership Seminar on May 16. It is a full day of leadership programming put on by the Manitoba Co-operative Association. Mr.Felsch is looking for any students from grades 10-12 that are interested in the seminar. It is a lot of games, discussions and meeting other students from around the division.
​Please see Mr.Felsch if you are interested. 
 

We hope that everyone had a restful and relaxing break! We are ready to welcome students back tomorrow.  We can't wait to see you!

We received the following information from the Province just before Spring Break. Our school will be creating an appropriate and safe plan for our students and staff on April 8th.  The plan and additional information will follow in next weeks blog.  The information from the Province to the school reads: 

A total solar eclipse is set to occur on April 8, 2024, between approximately noon and 3 p.m. Central Standard Time, spanning from Southern Ontario to Newfoundland and Labrador, with the rest of Canada experiencing a partial eclipse. Manitoba will experience an approximate 50 percent occlusion eclipse.

This is an awe-inspiring event that will draw the gaze of people; however, there is a risk of permanent vision damage if proper precautions are not taken. Even a brief look at the partially eclipsed sun can result in permanent damage.

Children and students may need extra supervision during the eclipse, as they may not fully comprehend the risks involved. Early learning and child care facilities and schools are encouraged to have plans in place to keep children indoors during the afternoon to ensure they don’t view the eclipse unless appropriate eye protection is available and worn. Note that anyone who may not understand the risk or have difficulty following safety instructions are at greater risk.
​
Manitoba Education and Early Childhood Learning has consulted and collaborated with Manitoba Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care, to develop the attached guidance on solar eclipses. This resource includes a general overview, risks, and information on how to view eclipses safely.

​

Please note that there will be no classes for students on Friday, April 5th as it is a BLSD Admin Day. 

Term 2 report cards for K-8 students and Semester 2 mid term reports for Grades 9-12 will be coming out in the coming weeks. This brings us to student-led conferences that are scheduled for Thursday, April 18th from 5:00-8:00pm and Friday, April 19th from 9:00am-3:30pm.  
Please watch for communication from Mrs.French and Mrs.Jablonski in the coming weeks about scheduling appointments with your child's teachers. If you have not signed into the Powerschool Parent Portal, we ask that you contact RVS to get set up. This will be the only way to access report cards for your children.

We will be providing  free Subway lunch for all students on Wednesday, April 10th.  The orders are due on Wednesday, April 3rd.  
If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs.Collette or your child's homeroom teacher.

RVS students had the opportunity to explore local businesses, organizations, and post secondary options through a self-guided tour on Thursday, March 14th. This was a fabulous day of learning for all students and feedback from students was very positive.  We had Emerson School join us for the afternoon as well.
A BIG THANK YOU to all volunteers who took time out of their day to make this day possible. 

Southern Health-Santé Sud has taken the Love My Community Day idea and is promoting this through the entire southern health region.  They are challenging classes to do a random act of kindness, community event, or anything that promotes connection until May 10th.  
This community event was created by our current Grade 8 class when they were in grade 3.  Hoping that many classrooms will come on board to spread cheer in our area. 

Are you interested in cooking and learning a new recipe? Please email Mrs.Fisher at [email protected] for more information. There are some spots available.