Blackville School Elementary Christmas Concert

School's In Podcast for December 20, 2013

Hosts Kyla Coughlan and Candace Purcell reflect on their experiences doing the "School's In" podcast and share some music from the Elementary Christmas Concert.

Dr. Funk's Christmas Explosion

Amelia Underhill and Jansen Sturgeon as competing Santas
 in Dr. Funk's Christmas Explosion.

The High School Drama Club performed the Christmas production, "Dr Funk's Christmas Explosion" on Thursday, December 19.

The production consisted of three short comedies. The audience enjoyed sweets and sandwiches between each skit.

The production, with a cast of ten students, was directed by Grade 12 student Candace Purcell.

Students View MADD Video

The Middle School Student Council with MADD Presenter
 Josée Levesque
(l-r): Cole Merrit, Tori Lee Sullivan, Marlee
Kingston,  Josée Levesque and Jules Keenan

According to MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) Presenter Josée Levesque, an average of four Canadians are killed each day because of drunk drivers.

She urged students at Blackville School to be the generation that lowers those statistics.

Levesque was at Blackville School on Thursday, December 18. Both middle and high school students had the opportunity to view a video followed by a discussion with Levesque.

The video portrayed a story about young people who were affected by drinking and driving. This was followed by testimonials from individuals who were victims or lost loved ones in drinking and driving vehicle crashes.

For more information about MADD, check out their website.

People's Picks!

Student of the Week:
This week's student of the week goes out to Tristen Pitre. Tristen is a grade 12 student that works very hard in all his classes and was nominated by Mr. Grattan.




Teacher of the Week:
Teacher of the week is Mrs. O'Keefe. We asked Mrs. O'Keefe where she studied, what she likes best about her job and what she likes to do on her spare time. She said "I studied at UNB, my favorite thing about my job is the students and in my spare time I like to spend time with my family."


                                                      Staff of the Week:

This week's staff of the week goes out to Diana Hallihan. Diana got chosen for staff of the week because of her hard work as a custodian. We asked her what she likes best about her job and what she likes to do in her spare time. She told us "what I like best about my job is  meeting all the new students and in my spare time I like to do outdoors activities with my family."

$1000 Raised for the Josie Foundation

In late November of this year, the students of Blackville School had rallied together in an attempt to raise both awareness and funding for the Josie Foundation. The Josie Foundation is a local, non-profit organization that provides financial relief to those who are battling a chronic illness.

Through a number of fundraisers, such as bake sales, money drives and contests, a total of $1000.00 was raised. This money will go towards helping families who are in a difficult financial state due to having to deal with the stresses associated with having a chronic disease.

Jake Stewart, the local MLA and founder of the Josie Foundation, is scheduled to make an appearance at the school and accept the donation.

Music in Memories Concert

Blackville School Senior Girls Choir at the Music
 in Memories Concert

The Music in Memories Concert was held at St. Bridget’s Church in Renous on Saturday, December 14. The concert featured many vocalists and musicians, such as Natalie Munn, Beverly Curtis, Ian Craig, and even Blackville School’s very own Girls’ and Elementary choirs.

The concert was well attended and enjoyed by all. Both performers and guests deemed the event a complete success. Guests were entertained by Christmas classics such as the serene “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” to more jolly tunes such as “Candy Cane Christmas,” which made the evening enjoyable for all who had attended.

The organizers wish to extend an appreciative thanks to all who came to be a part of such a special evening for our choirs and the other performers.

School's In for December 13, 2013

Check out the Christmas edition podcast below. Tune in next week for more Christmas fun.

People's Picks!

Student of the Week:

This week's student of the week goes out to Candace Purcell. Candace is a grade 12 student that was chosen by Mrs. C Underhill for her hard work as the student director for high school drama.







Teacher of the Week:

Teacher of the week this week goes out to Mrs. J Underhill. Mrs. Underhill is an English and History teacher, she was chosen by the high school students.  Mrs. Underhill studied at St. Thomas and at UNB. She said, " I love my job, how I teach at a small school, love the staff and teaching is lots of fun and I get to laugh everyday." During her spare time she likes to spend time with her family, watch her sons play hockey and watch her daughter perform in gymnastics.



Staff of the Week:

This week's staff of the week goes out to Gloria Kelly. Gloria is an Educational Assistant at Blackville School. We asked her what she likes best about her job and she told us, "working with the students." She studied at the Academy of Learning and in her spare time she likes to walk and read.

School's In Podcast for December 06

In this week's podcast, host Candace Purcell interviews Blackville School music teacher Cathy Frenette about the upcoming "Christmas Memories in Music" Concert. The concert will be held on Saturday, December 14 at Saint Bridget's Parish in Renous, New Brunswick. Check out the podcast for more details and you can also read this article.

Viewpoint December 04, 2013

People's Picks!

Student of the Week:

This week's student of the week goes to Bailey Curtis. Bailey is a grade 11 student, and he was chosen by Mr. Grattan. He was chosen because of his hard work in Applied Tech and how he comes to class on time.

Teacher of the Week:

This week's teacher of the week goes out to Ms. Walls. She is now a kindergarten teacher. We asked Ms. Walls what she likes best about her job, and she told us that she likes the students the best. We also asked her what she likes to do in her spare time and she said "crossword puzzles and singing in the church choir."


Staff of the Week:

This week's staff of the week goes out to Jamie McNeil who is a staff member in the cafeteria. We asked Jamie what she likes best about her job and she said the students.

Christmas Memories in Music

Choir students at Blackville School prepare for the
Christmas concert on December 17. 

This year, Blackville School Girls’ Choir, and the Blackville School Elementary Choir will be featured in the “Christmas Memories in Music.” This concert will take place on Saturday, December 14 at St. Bridget’s Church in Renous at 7:00 pm. 

Other featured musicians and musical groups consist of Ian Craig, St. Raphael’s Choir, Aaron and Hannah Johnston, and many more.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the Blackville School, Circle K, or Renous Convenience. All proceeds will support the Blackville School Music program, and the Blackville School Breakfast program. Organizer are inviting everyone to come out for a great evening of Christmas music and show your support for community programs.

Article by Cassandra Waugh

Photo by Taylor Gillespie

Students of the Month for Middle School

6Mc:
Student of the month for Ms. McEvoy's homeroom class is Hayley Underhill. Hayley was chosen because she is a hard worker, and is especially kind and helpful. She shows leadership skills, outstanding effort and shows lots of respect for others.


6M:
Calvin Keenan was chosen as student of the month for Mrs. Moody's homeroom class. Calvin is hard working, has academic achievement and shows outstanding effort.





7J:
Student of the month for Mr. Johnston's homeroom class is Maggie Jardine. Maggie was chosen because she is hard working, shows leadership skills and outstanding effort.

7W:
Shelby Furlong was chosen as student of the month for Mrs. Waugh's homeroom class. Shelby was chosen because she is always helping others.





8O:
Student of the month for Mrs. O'Keefe's homeroom class is Darian Donovan. Darian is very hardworking; she sometimes finds work hard but does extra to understand. She is making very good grades because of her effort. Darian is especially kind and helpful and also showed leadership skills by laying the wreath for Remembrance Day.


8S:
Mikayla MacDonald was chosen as student of the month for Mrs. Steeve's homeroom class. Mikayla is hard working, especially kind and helpful, shows respect for others and is very thoughtful.

New Brunswick Authors Visit Blackville School

Peter D. Clark

Authors Valerie Sherrard and Peter D. Clark visited Blackville School over the past two weeks. Valerie Sherrard visited with students on Tuesday, November 19 and Peter D. Clark visited on Thursday, November 28.

Check out the "School's In" podcast feature below where hosts Candace Purcell and Kyla Coughlan sit down to speak with Mrs. Sherrard about her books and the writing experience.

Valerie Sherrard

People's Picks!

Student of the Week
This week's student of the week goes out to Taylor Gillespie. Taylor is a hard working grade 12 student. She was nominated by Mr. Grattan for her hard work in her shop class.
Teacher of the Week

Teacher of the week goes out to Mrs. Trudy Underhill. We asked Mrs. Underhill what she likes best about her job and she said, "The best part of my job is the students. The students at BHS are awesome." We also asked her what she likes to do in her spare time. She said, "spending time with Hayley and Owen."


Staff of the Week
This week's staff of the week is Andrea Donohue. Andrea won staff of the week for her extra hard work helping the high school student council and the high school students with their Christmas formal. Andrea works hard during school and also after school on her own time.

Mr. Johnston has Beard Dyed for Josie Foundation Fundraising Efforts

Abby Donovan applies colour to Mr. Johnston's eyebrows
 as other middle school students watch excitedly.

A teacher at Blackville School got a makeover in recognition of the school's fundraising campaign for the Josie Foundation.

Mr. Johnston pledged to have his beard (and eyebrows) dyed if the students and staff could raise $500 for the Josie Foundation. Almost $500 was raised at the middle school dance on Thursday evening, November 28, and other fundraising efforts are continuing into next week.

The Josie Foundation is a non-profit organization whose aim is to establish, receive and maintain a fund for the relief of economic hardship for individuals (families) within the Miramichi area who may be encountering financial difficulty as a result of chronic illness.

The Josie Foundation's colour is a dark maroon, however purple was used to make his beard colour even more dramatic.

For more information on the foundation, visit www.josiefoundation.ca. 

Mr. Johnston's new look

Bucket Filler for Week of November 25, 2013

The bucket filler for this week is Myles Curtis. Myles was chosen for the bucket filler because he is a super classroom helper and is always willing to help a classmate in need.

Congratulations from everyone here at BHS! Keep up the great work, Myles !

MLA Jake Stewart Speaks to Students at Blackville School

MLA Jake Stewart with Student Council members
Whitney Tucker, Cassandra Waugh, Candace Purcell
and Graham Manderville

On Monday, November 25, MLA Southwest Miramichi Jake Stewart visited Blackville School to speak to middle and high school students about the importance of community leadership, giving back, and the Josie Foundation.

During the presentation, Jake Stewart, local MLA, founder of the Josie Foundation and an active community member, recalled times in his life when he felt he was not doing enough to help others.

While on a Thailand vacation in 2004, he had been present for the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, which was the third largest earthquake ever recorded on a seismograph, and killed approximately 275 000 people. Fear stricken, he, his now wife, and two friends were stranded in the plane to their destination, all of them were unaware of the disaster unfolding below.

Eight hours after landing, they finally made it from the airport to their hotel, which was miraculously saved. Panicked, they arrived at the hotel and realized the magnitude of the natural disaster. The next day, when asked to help collect dead bodies and search for survivors, he had declined out of fear of catching fatal diseases such as malaria. He went on to say that this decision is one that he will forever regret, but insisted that he may not be the person he is today if he had not have said no.

After this experience, he had realized the importance of giving back. A few years later, he had founded the Josie Foundation; a local, nonprofit organization aimed to financially help and support people dealing with a chronic illness. Jake Stewart had stressed the importance of helping others, and encouraged the student at Blackville School to look out for one another, and help the community in any way possible. For more information on the Josie Foundation, visit www.josiefoundation.ca.

Article by Cassandra Waugh

Photo by Taylor Gillespie

Movember at Blackville School

People's Picks!

Student of the Week

Student of the Week goes out to DeAnna Donovan. She is a grade 10 student and was chosen by Mrs. Underhill. DeAnna works hard on a daily basis and she also has a great personality



Teacher of the Week 

High school teacher of the week goes out to Mr. Norton. Mr. Norton teaches high school math class and physics. We asked Mr. Norton what he likes best about his job and he said "the students." We also asked him what he likes to do in his spare time, and he said "play hockey".


Staff of the Week

The staff of the week goes out to Mr. Sturgeon for coaching the high school girls basketball team. We asked Mr. Sturgeon what he likes best about coaching basketball, and he said "seeing people learn a skill for the first time." We also asked him what he likes to do in his spare time and he told us "four wheeling and doing stuff with the Fire Department."

Photos and articles by Maghen Nash, Keisha Mountain and Karlee Coughlan. 

Mysterious Movember Visitors

The morning announcements at Blackville School were hosted by three mysterious bearded characters on Wednesday November 20, 2013. They apparently were visiting the school in support of Movember. There are some rumours, however, that the voices of these three characters were strikingly similar to some of the school staff members....

School's In Podcast for November 21

This week's School's In podcast with hosts Kyla Coughlan and Candace Purcell. This week includes an update on what's happening at Blackville School. Stay tuned for next week's podcast that will featured an interview with local author Valerie Sherrard.

Colouring Contest Winners (November)

People's Picks!

Student of the Week

Student of the week goes out to a grade 12 student who works very hard in all of his classes, Devan Brophy. Devan was nominated by Mr. Grattan for his hard work in shop class.




Teacher of the Week

This week's teacher of the week goes out to a elementary teacher who teaches kindergarten, Mrs. Hallihan. Mrs. Hallihan has been a teacher now for over 20 years. We asked Mrs. Hallihan what university she attended and she told us "UNB Fredericton." We also asked what she likes to do in her spare time and she said "I like to go shopping."




Staff of the Week

Staff of the week goes out to our vice principal who is new to our school this year, Mrs. Underhill. We asked Mrs.Underhill what she likes best about her job, and she said "I get to help and talk to all the students." We also asked what she likes to do in her spare time, and she said "I like to walk, read and cook."

Photos and articles by Maghen Nash, Keisha Mountain, Karlee Coughlan

Blackville School Remembrance Day Ceremony (November 08, 2013)

Bucket Filler of the Week

This week's Bucket Filler is Drea Hallihan from Miss Dunn's grade 4 glass. Drea was picked as this week's bucket filler because she is always quick to lend a hand and is kind and generous to her peers.

Congratulations from everyone here at BHS ! Keep up the great work! 

Elementary Students Capture Learning Experience with Photos and Video

Elementary students at Blackville School did an interdisciplinary unit on apples in October. They finished the unit with a special day with apple themed activities. Some grade five students put together a presentation with pictures and video. Grade five teacher Mrs. Jennifer Hallihan said, "I am very happy with how the video turned out and proud of elementary students for their hard work."
Check out the video below.

Viewpoint: Remembrance Day

School's In: Remembrance Day

Hosts Candace Purcell and Kyla Coughlan share two poems for the Remembrance Day edition. Check out the podcast below. 

Students Participate in Take Your Kid To Work Day

Grade 9 student Tanner Gillespie

Each year at Blackville School the grade 9 students participate in the annual Take Your Kid To Work Day that allows them to visit a the work place of their choice and to become an employee for a day.

On Wednesday, November 6, the grade 9 students went to a work place of their choice to learn about that certain career. The purpose of this is for the students to learn about this career and for them to see what it is like to be an employee for a day.

Kailey Donovan is a grade 9 student that took part in Take Your Kid To Work Day. Kailey went to work at her aunt's daycare called Stacy's Play and Learn. We asked her what her experience was like, and she told us "working at my aunt's daycare was really fun and I enjoyed the experience and time there."

Tanner Gillespie is also a grade 9 student that took park in Take Your Kid To Work Day. Tanner went to the Blackville Home Hardware where his first cousin works. We asked Tanner what his experience was like, and he said, "my experience working at Home Hardware was really fun. I learned how to work the cash and how to mix paint. I really enjoyed it."


Article by Maghen Nash 
Photos by Maghen Nash and Karlee Coughlan

People's Picks!

Student of the Week

Student of the month for Blackville School this month goes out to Larissa Breynton. Larissa is a grade 11 student, and she was nominated by Mrs. Brophy. Larissa is very hard working and she always puts lots of effort into her work in class.


Teacher of the Week

The teacher of the week is Mr. Sturgeon. Mr. Sturgeon is new at our school this year as a full time teacher. We asked Mr. Sturgeon what he likes to do in his spare time,  and he said "four wheeling." We also asked him where he studied and what he likes best about his job, he said "I studied at UNB Fredericton and what I like best about my job is teaching my Outdoor Pursuits class".

Staff of the Week

The staff of the week for Blackville School is Bernadette. Bernadette is part of the Blackville School's cafeteria staff. She is very hard working and is known as a friendly person. We asked her what she likes best about her job and she said "the people." We also asked her what she likes to do in her spare time, she said "spending time with my great granddaughter."


by Maghen Nash, Keisha Mountain and Karlee Coughlan

Let's Scare Hunger

On Thursday, October 31, 2013, there were more than ghosts and goblins traveling the streets of the rural community of Blackville, New Brunswick. This year, a number of Blackville High School students were out and about collecting canned goods for the local food bank in an event called “Trick or Peas.” 

In Canada alone, there are 1.6 million households that face food insecurity, which means that nearly one in eight families experience this problem. Therefore, it is understandable that nearly 4.0 million Canadians, including 1.1 million people under the age of eighteen do not have nutritious, safe food readily available.

While these students traveled door to door, they asked for non-perishable food items au lieu to the chocolate bars and suckers that are normally handed out for Halloween. To the fifty-six registered clients that depend on the Blackville Food bank to ensure that their families are able to eat, this will hopefully help them out.

by Cassandra Waugh

An Interview with Home and School Committee President, Necia Nash.

Home and School President, Necia Nash

Necia Nash is the Blackville Home and School Committee President. Schools in hosts Candace and Kyla had the privilege of meeting with her this past week and asking her a few questions. Check out the podcast below to hear the interview. 

People's Picks!

Student of the Week:

Student of the week for high school is Keisha Kelly. Keisha is a grade 11 student. She was chosen by not one teacher but two, Mr. Sturgeon and Mr. Grattan. Keisha always works hard, and she is very cooperative.



Teacher of the Week:

Teacher of the week is a middle school/ elementary teacher who started as a full time teacher at Blackville School just this year. Ms. McEvoy was chosen. We asked Ms. McEvoy where she studied and she said "Dalhousie University and University of Maine at Presque Isle." In her spare time she likes to read, cook, hangout with friends and family, and traveling. We also asked her what she likes best about teaching, and she said it was her students.


Staff of the Week:

Staff of the week for this week is Tammy Donovan. Tammy is known as an educational assistant at Blackville School. We asked Tammy what she likes best about her job, and she said "working with the kids and all the other educational assistants." We also asked her what she likes to do in her spare time and she told us spending time with her family and reading.

Viewpoint: Halloween

Middle School Students of the Month

6Mc:

Student of the month for Ms. McEvoy's grade 6 class goes out to Daniel MacVicar. Daniel is hard working. He is especially kind and helpful, and he has outstanding effort and he shows his respect for others in his class and throughout the school. 

6M:

Madison Betts was chosen as student of the month for Mrs. Moody's class because she is hard working, and she shows leadership skills!

7J:

Student of the month for Mr. Johnston's homeroom class goes out to Richard Cosgrove. Richard is hard working; he has academic improvements, and he has an outstanding effort towards his work in classes at school.

7W:

Julie Jardine was chosen as student of the month for Mrs. Waugh's class because she is hard working, especially kind and helpful and she is very thoughtful!

8O:

Student of the month for Mrs. O'Keefe's homeroom class is Maguire Gillespie. Mrs. O'Keefe said, "As a student in math 8O, Maguire is willing to help others once he is finished his work. When assigned work Maguire is one of the students to attempt the task and in most cases willing to share his findings with the class. He is very kind, mannerly, hard-working and a joy to have in my class!"

8S:

Jules Keenan was chosen as student of the month for Ms. Steeves class because she is hard working, especially kind and helpful, and especially thoughtful. She shows leadership skills and shows respect for others. 

Compiled by Maghen Nash, Keisha Mountain and Karlee Coughlan