The last dance of the year held on April 17th 2008 was a huge success.
February weather was too unpredictable and caused many cancellations of the "Mardis Gras" dance - so Madill students showed up this week to dance the night away with beads and masks to set the mood!
Student Council would like to thank all the people who came out to all the dance's this year, making them the most memorable nights of the year!
If you are looking for study help with a subject at school, or a friendly ear to listen to your concerns, drop in and see us in the Student Success Room here at Madill.
We're in room 201 and we're open all day - even at lunches. Various teachers and volunteers, student and adult, are here to offer you help with all your subjects, be a friendly ear to listen to your concerns or even to offer snacks if you missed breakfast.
Basically, we're here to SERVE you our students. So drop around and introduce yourself to us. That's Student Success Room # 201. We'd be HAPPY to get to know you better.
For the third year running, we have a contestant in the Provincial finals of the Great Canadian Geography Challenge"! Our past winners were: Jesse Winger in 2006 and Matt Cardiff in 2007.
This year's winner is Ursina Studhalter who will now be participate in the Provincial finals in Toronto Saturday, April 8th. Congratulations Ursina!
Madill is now 3 for 3 as far as getting students to at least the Provincials. Quite an accomplishment considering the number of participants (over 2 milllion) and only the top 50 in Ontario are chosen (from an on-line qualifying test).
Interested in learning more? See The Great Canadian Geography Challenge and take your own challenge!
Last week, students from F.E. Madill travelled to the small village of St-Donat, Québec for an opportunity to experience French-Canadian language and culture.
Students participated in music and cultural workshops, lumberjack games, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, alpine skiing/snowboarding lessons, and free skiing/snowboarding all en français.
There have been many questions about what will happen to the schedule with school closed today.
At present the plan is for exams, that were scheduled for today, to be written on Friday.... (not Thursday).
The grade 8 orientation day would also take place on Friday.
Second semester would start on Monday, February 4.
For the second year the Foundation for Education is offering an alternative gift idea to acknowledge schools or school projects.
All donations made through the "Gift To Honour" option are fully tax creditable through the Foundation using the standard Application For Tax receipt. Funds are returned to the school after cheques have cleared our bank.
Click the image above or the link below to get a copy of the gift form.
[ GIFT FORM ] PDF document, 1 page.
Yesterday, Madill held our annual Great Canadian Geography Challege.
The winner of the senior level competetion with an outstanding correct percentage of over 80%, was Eric Zinn. The winner of the junior level was Ursina Studhalter
Congratulations to our two winners. Please see Mr. Walker today at the start of lunch in room 267 for your prizes and preparation for the Provincial level.
Further congratulations to our 2nd place winner at the Junior level - Tyler Davidson; and our third place winner Jordan Sitler. Rounding out the top 5 were Blake Schmalz and Jimi Van de Walle. Well done everyone!
Thank you to the other contestants who participated. Mr. Walker also has a certificate for you, so please contact him ASAP!
The Madill version of the "Great Canadian Geography Challenge" is back! Last year's winner Matt Cardiff made it all the way to the top 20 in Canada, while the previous year's winner Jesse Winger, made it to the provincial finals in Toronto and we're hoping to keep up the tradition. This year there is a special invitation to next semester's grade 9 Geography classes to participate.
The competititon is fun, it's educational and there are prizes and scholarships available! It's open to everyone in Grades 7 to 12. The first round will be held this Friday, Dec. 6th, during period 1. We also have a guest celebrity helping us with the reading of the questions- CKNX's Phil Main!
Interested? Sign up today with Mr. Walker, Mrs. Jackson, Mr. Klassen or let your homeroom teacher know. If you'd like to learn more and practise some questions, go to this website Geography Challenge.
The Remembrance Assembly will take place at 10:30 during period 2. Don't forget to wear your poppy!
Students may not have classes on November 1st but teachers are busy during the PA Day working to make our schools a more productive learning environment.
Click the image above or the link below to get a copy of our PA Day agenda.
[ PA DAY SCHEDULE ] PDF document, 1 page.
After narrowly losing the "flip cup" and "clothespin" challenges the Madill Student's Council emerged victorious in the group "heart relay" to become the FearFest champions!
We salute the Listowel team and wish them better luck next year- they will need it!
The annual dress up day sponsored by the students council was a another huge success.
Many students chose to come to school in costume and participated in trick or treating at selected classroom during the lunch hour!
Dress up fun continues tonight with the Hallowe'en Dance. Admission is $6.00 with a student card and $5.00 with a costume. Sounds like a scarily good time!
A morning of rain did not dampen the spirits of the student's council or the grade 9's that participate in the annual NYN-Fest activities.
So "Now You're a Niner" what does it mean to be a part of Madill? Lot's of fun!
This year's grade 9 students were assigned to groups that spent the morning moving to diffent locations around the school and working as teams to compete in various activities organized by student's council.
Each grade 9 received their own NYN-Fest T-shirt as well as a free lunch.
Want to relive the event? Check out more photos in the [PHOTO GALLERY]
The Madill Monograph officially logged its 100,000th page view today! Averaging between 500 and 600 views each day the Monograph continues to bring to light the events and activities that reflect the Madill experience.
What wil the next 100,000 page views reveal?
Students council organized yet another successful walkathon for a good cause. Students and teachers spent the morning walking a 10 km route around Wingham.
Funds raised today will be split between students council and the Wingham and District Hospital.
Students council would like to thank those that helped to support this event!
Want to relive the event? Check out more photos in the [PHOTO GALLERY]
Not to spoil your vacation- just a gentle reminder that school starts Tuesday, September 4th. You will find a list in the main hall that indicates your home room where you will recieve your timetable and locker assignment.
The end of the school year is fast approaching! Parents and students alike will find valuable information in this month's newsletter.
Newsletter
[ DOWNLOAD ] PDF document, 1 page
The students council put on a tacky fashion show to display the types of clothing that you can wear to the backwards Prom. Remember that tacky is more than just a state of mind- it's an attitude! So ... show up to the dance and show them just how tacky you can be.
Members of the Students Against Impaired Driving group challenged Madill staff and students to run an obstacle course on scooters while wearing googles that simulate the impairment of alcohol. This event is meant to remind people of the dangers of choosing to drive after drinking.
Next week is OSAID trivia week- ending on Friday with a BYOB, (Bring Your Own Banana), lunch for banana split sundaes!
photos courtesy of Ms. S Devine
The annual sale of plants from the Madill greenhouse will occur next week from Monday, May 14 to Wednesday, May 16. The doors will open at 3:30 and close at 6 pm. This is your opportunity to bring colour to your garden at bargin prices.
As a semi-professional hockey player with the Sherbrooke Saints, Mr. Carnegie was three times voted the most valuable player. His ambition to become a professional player was not to be fulfilled, as the unwritten code of the National Hockey League denied Mr. Carnegie a try-out in the NHL because of his race.
Due to this discrimination, Mr. Carnegie devoted his life to activating change in communities for all young people. He was the founder of the first hockey school in Canada, and continues to sponsor many leadership events. Aaron received this award based on his contribution to his community, school involvement and academics. Congratulations Aaron, from everyone here at Madill!
photo and story courtesy of Mrs. Rita Bowers
Madill was saddened this week by the loss of a member of our school community. Travis was well known and had a charisma that made him a very likeable young man. Travis' death is a real tragedy the impact of which has been felt by everyone. Our sincere sympathies go out the the family and friends of Travis.
Visitation 2:00 - 4:00 and 7:00 - 9:00, Wednesday, April 18.
Funeral service 2:00, Thursday, April 19.
Schimanski Funeral Home, Gorrie chapel.
Madill's students council wanted to ensure that our school is an exceptional place to learn- so it made an investment in our future students. Today grade 7 and 8 students from our feeder schools were invited for a whole day devoted to leadership.
The morning started with an inspirational session featuring guest speaker Ian Tyson and the afternoon concentrated on fun activities to help our future Madill students reach their potential!
In accordance with the Ministry of Education students and parents will find information regarding the upcoming PA day on April 23rd in this memo from the Board. Click the image of the memo or the link at the bottom of the message.
PA Day Memo
[ DOWNLOAD PDF document, 3 pages ]
Over 120 parents were in attendance Wednesday night to meet with teachers. Parents are reminded that they can keep in touch with teachers throughout the semester and arrange meetings through the office. A host of services are also available to parents through the guidance department.
The F. E. Madill Parent's Council with CODA, (the Council on Drug Abuse) present, "The Crystal Meth Explosion" an information evening for parents and community in gym 228 at 7 PM.
The keynote speaker for the evening will be Heather Hodgson Schleich and a panel discussion with Tim Poole, Chief of Wingham Police Services, Catherine Hardeman, Perth Choices for Change and Diane Maize, Social Worker at FEMSS and GDCI will follow. There is no admission charge.
The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test for all grade 10's will take place next Thursday March 29th. The timetable for grade 9 and 10 students appears below.
Period 1: 8:50 - 10:15 (intro & booklet 1 for grade 10 test; mock test for 9's; study hall for seniors)
Break : 10:15 - 10:30
Period 2: 10:30 - 12:00 (booklet 2 & survey for grade 10 test; leadership program for 9's; study hall for seniors)
Lunch : 12:00 - 1:00
Period 3: 1:00 - 2:00 (regular afternoon period 3 classes)
Period 4: 2:00 - 3:05 (regular afternoon period 4 classes)
The Special Education department will be running a slightly different schedule for accommodated students.
It is important to stress that our grade 11's and 12's are more than welcome and in fact invited to attend school in the morning for study purposes, but no regular classes will be running.
Due to road closures there are no buses to F. E. Madill and there are no regular classes. An extreme wind chill warning remains in effect!
Due to the weather conditions in our area today there will be no buses to F. E. Madill. The school is open for study purposes for those students that can get there safely. Believe it our not spring is just 16 days away. Let's hope that warmer weather is on its way!
UPDATE: The school will close at noon!
Due to the severe ice storm that hit our area last night there are no buses to F. E. Madill today. The art and photography club photo shoot at Wawanosh will be re-scheduled. For details on cancellations remember to click the link to the left under the "Winter Weather" heading.
Last week French students from Madill were able to immerse themselves in the "joie de vivre" of Québec culture. The time passed quickly with skiing and French workshops during the day and socializing "en français" in the evening.... ça c'est bon!
photos courtesy of Ms. Sikma.
There are no buses to F. E. Madill today. School is open for study purposes only. The photography club photo shoot at Wawanosh Nature Centre has been cancelled and will be re-scheduled at a later date.
Weather permiting the report cards will be sent home tomorrow! As always there will be a newsletter sent home with the report. If yours happens to lose its way home.... not to worry!
You can get a copy of the letter below.
[DOWNLOAD letter to parents, .pdf format]
The grade 8 parent night was another success with over 100 students and their parents in attendance. The annual event is a chance for parents to meet with teachers, get answers to questions and get details about high school programs.
Course selection for next year has been ongoing for the past month. Make sure you have taken time to look over the course offerings in the Madill course calendar for '07-'08.
Course Calendar for FEMSS
[ DOWNLOAD PDF document, 32 pages ]
February marks Black History month in Canada. Find out more about events and the contributions of Black Canadians.
Waking up this morning felt a little like being in the movie "Groundhog Day". Was the same song playing on your radio as the day before when the alarm went off? Snow storms swept through our region yet again leading to a long list of school closures. Déjà Vu!
Due to continued poor weather the grade 8 parents' night has been cancelled. The event has been re-scheduled to the night of Tuesday February the 13th at 7:15 PM. Check with this web site for updates!
In memory of Bill Gerth, and with the support of his family, a Citizenship Award is being established at each of the schools in which Bill worked (South Huron District High School, F.E. Madill Secondary School, and Central Huron Secondary School).
These awards will be given annually to a student, in each of the schools, that demonstrates outstanding commitment to one or more of the Board’s citizenship attributes.
Donations to this award can be made payable c/o Avon Maitland District School Board with reference to the Bill Gerth Citizenship Award and sent to the attention of Margaret Olar in the Accounting Department.
The fierce winter storm that began Sunday night continued well into this morning shutting down the school for yet another day. Highways are now beginning to open up and the sun made a brief appearance. Hopefully we will be back to normal tomorrow!
Wingham and most of Southwestern Ontario found itself cut off from the outside world today. Snowsqualls are forecasted to continue with as much as another 15 cm of snow expected tonight.... and let's not forget about those blistering winds off Lake Huron making it feel like -30 °C with the wind chill factor!
Remember to listen to your radio or check the "Winter Weather" section of this site, (to the left of this posting), for information about bus delays or school closures.
The following message represents office policy on cell phones.
Cell phones have come to present a significant and unnecessary distraction to learning and positive social interaction at F. E. Madill. Students are reminded that cell phone usage is not permitted during class time.
Usage during your lunch period or before 8:45 and after 3:15 is permitted as long as the devices are not used to cause problems for others. Messages which harm the safety, security and privacy of others will not be tolerated.
Most cell phones are multi-function (camera, mp3) electronic devices, which might compromise the privacy of others and for that reason cell phone usage is not permitted in washrooms or change rooms.
If you are not following these rules you will be asked by your teacher to ‘hand over your phone’ which you will do without question. For a first infraction, you may expect the return of your phone in a timely manner (end of the period or the day); for subsequent offences, the wait will be much longer. Refusal will be interpreted as opposition to authority.
If your phone rings in class, you will lose it. Leave it at home if this is a problem for you - Cell phones are not necessary at school. These rules have the support of Parent Council and Staff of FEMSS.
Thank you for your support in this matter.
Mr. Ryan
Principal
F. E. Madill S. S.
Madill played host to over 200 students today that will be our grade 9 students next year. Groups began arriving shortly after 10:00 AM to enjoy a day at hiogh school!
After a welcome message from the guidance department our guests were introduced to student's council who gave them insight into what life as a Madill student is like.
After breaking into smaller groups of about 50 our guests were able to tour areas of the school and visit classrooms in the Art, Business, Family Studies and Technology departments.
Some Madill students have already started reading the books included in the White Pine Reading Programme this year. Everyone registered in the group must read at least five of the ten titles on the book list.
On April 26, the participants will each vote for the book that they think should receive the White Pine Award for 2007. Learn more about the books and authors on the reading list this year by going to the White Pine Web Site. Anyone who would still like to get involved in this programme should register soon at the library and start reading!
Madill thanks the Foundation for Education for its support for this programme.
Photo and story submitted by Mrs. Gilchrist
Don't forget that the first day of semester 2 is Friday, February 2nd. Cafeteria service will resume on that day and students will be assigned new lockers for the semester.
The winners of our 2nd annual Great Canadian Geography Challenge were:
Grade 9 and 10
1st Place Matt Cardiff (Gold medal winner and a year's subcritption to Canadian Geographic)
2nd Place Becca Beardsley ( yet to choose her prize)
3rd Place Sean Martin (3 free tickes to an Ironmen game courtesy of the Wingham Ironmen)
Grade 11 and above
1st Place B.J. Mayer (a new Pearson International Atlas, courtesy of Pearson books)
2nd Place Jesse Winger ( free passes to the Squash Courts at North Huron Wescast Recreation Centre. courtesy of the Rec. Dept. of North Huron)
Matt, now has the chance to go further. He has to write an on-line qualifying test in the coming two weeks. If successful, he is eligible for the Provincial Championships in Toronto this spring and perhaps the Canadian and World Championships. Best wishes Matt and congratulations to all participants.
The annual career fair sponsored by the co-op department was another success with about 80 displays from students set up in the cafeteria.
Classes were given 15 minutes this morning to meet with the co-op students and their employers to get a first hand account of their job experiences.
Madill finds itself a construction site yet again! Severe plumbing problems have forced workers to dig several holes below the floors to trace the cause. Original estimates on fixing the problem were a week at most, but difficulties have caused delays.
When will students be able to roam free again? We'll let you know as soon as we know!
The first snow day of 2007 was the result of an ice and snow storm that swept across Southwestern Ontario early this morning. Unusual weather patterns have kept our part of Canada warmer and with less snow than normal. Is winter finally here or will the warm trend return?
William Avey grade 11 student at Madill passed away at Brantford General Hospital on Friday, December 29, 2006 at the age of 16 after a courageous battle with cancer. William was the beloved son of Donna and Melvin McInnes of Wingham and William Avey and Donna of Brantford and brother of Joanne.
As an F. E. Madill student, Will was keenly involved in the Drama Guild from which he drew strength and purpose. Staff and students will miss his positive presence.
Our thoughts are with William's family at this time.
The Madill community was shocked and saddened to hear of the tragic death of Mr. Bill Gerth on Friday December 22. Bill was a former vice principal at our school and the husband of Vicki Gerth, former music teacher, and father of alumni Sjaan and Kristyn.
Our thoughts are with Mrs. Gerth and her children at this difficult time.
The Madill staff may be old.... but they're not ready to pack it in ... not just yet. They posted an impressive 4 to 1 win over the student team proving that experience may count for something! The students can take comfort in the fact that there is always next year.... the staff team won't get any younger.
The first snow day of the season struck yesterday and will impact upon the mid-term exam schedule. Any exams that were timetabled for yesterday will now be written today. Exams that were originally set for today are on Monday, December 11. The revised period times will also shift to Monday as well.
Good luck with your exams!
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