Roots of Empathy Baby Visits Grade 2 Class

Owen with his Mother, Jenna Coughlan

The Grade 2 students of Blackville School are again participating in the Roots of Empathy program.

Roots of Empathy is an international organization that offers empathy based programs for children, with research to prove impact.

This year Owen Coughlan is the visiting baby, son of Jenna and Andrew Coughlan. He will be visiting the school once a month for nine months. His first visit was October 18.
                                                                                The students will be able to watch him grow and note how he changes from month to month.

Grade 2 Students learning interactively
with Owen.

The students look forward to seeing Owen again soon.

To find out more about this program, click here. To see more photos from the school's program, click here.

People's Picks - October 28

In this week's edition of People's Picks, we asked grade 12 student Hannah Colford who her favourite lunch lady was. Hannah chose Amanda MacDonald, the newest employee of the cafeteria. According to Hannah, Amanda is extremely friendly, even during the busy lunch hours, and goes out of her way to make conversation with all of the students.


"She's very polite, to me especially, and I get the feeling that she loves her job," Hannah added. Amanda MacDonald works usually as a cook and waitress and makes some of the best spaghetti we have ever tasted. Congratulations, Amanda! We love you!

Sports Update October 30

High school boys basketball practice today right after school.

High school boys hockey today after school from 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

High school boys soccer tonight at 6:00 pm on the turf field in Chatham. All players are expected to attend.

High school girls basketball practice tonight at 6:00 pm.

Male Athlete of the Month - October

Kyle Maillet

Kyle is being praised as athlete of the month because of his hard work and dedication. Although he is only in grade 9, he has proved to everyone that he can play with the best of them. Kyle always comes to games with a positive attitude and a smile on his face, bringing up the spirits of everyone on the team. He gives every last bit of effort that he can, and never gives up in a play. Kyle has even already scored his first high school hat-trick (3 goals, one game). For these reasons among many more, Kyle is this months male athlete of the month.

Female Athlete Of The Month

Layla Hallihan

Layla is being praised as athlete of the month because of her hard work and dedication to her team. Although she is grade 10, she has proved to her teammates, coaches also opposing teams that she can be a leader and play with the best of them. Layla always shows up to games prepared, and in practices she doesn't mind diving to get the ball. She always has a positive attitude and a smile on her face that raises the spirits of the rest of her team. And for those reasons and many more, Layla is the female athlete of the month.

Sports Update - October 29th

Congratulations go out to the middle school boys soccer team on winning the district banner last night!

Senior boys soccer team practice tonight on the turf in Miramichi at 6:00 pm.

Bucket Filler of The Week

The bucket filler of the week is Hunter Linkletter. Hunter was given this award for being kind, a great listener, polite, and a good friend to everyone. Good job Hunter, and keep up the great work.

Senior Boys Head to Soccer Provincials; Senior Girls Finish Season

The senior boys soccer team won a great battle against undefeated Minto Tigers, with a score of 2-0 Both goals scored by Drake Donovan and with the shut out Jacob mercer.

The boys travel to Fredericton this weekend for provincials, good luck boys.

The senior girls soccer team cost a hard fought game this weekend at regionals falling 1- 0 against Rogersville. The girls had a great season.

Middle school boys championship game tonight at 6:30 on the turf field in Chatham.

Annual Halloween Party/Dance for Elementary and Middle School

This year's annual Halloween parties will be hosted by the Graduating Class of 2020 on Tuesday, October 29. 

Last year's Halloween party

The parties will take place in the school's cafeteria. The times and prices of admission are as follows:

K-2: 4:30 to 5:30 $4/Student

3-5:  5:45 to 6:45 $4/Student

Middle School Dance: 7:00 to 8:30 $5/Student

Candy Apples, Fudge, Fudge Cones, Pop, and Water will be sold.

We hope to see you there; it will be lots of skele-fun!

Variety Show at Blackville School Nov. 14

A Variety Show will be hosted by the graduation class of 2020 in the gymnasium of the Blackville High School on November 14, 2019. The show will start at approximately 6:00 pm and run until 8:30.

The show will feature multiple singing acts including Amber Walls and Jayda MacDonald, and world class dancers Abby Keenan and Anna Sturgeon. A continuum of acts from Mr. Hache's high school music class will also take place during the show.

A canteen will be open on site with sweets such as fudge and toffee, as well as cold beverages for sale. We will also be sending around a 50/50 draw. All proceeds will go towards the 2020 grad class fund used for prom and safe grad activities.

Signup sheets for the show are posted in both the middle and high school ends as well as one in the office and one with Mrs. T. Sturgeon. If you have an act and would like to sign up for the show, sheets are also at Blackville Trio Pizza and Blackville Foodland, or you can contact shanajardine62@gmail.com to register. Thanks in advance for your continued support!

October 23rd Sports Update

High School girls basketball practice today from 3:30 to 5:00 pm. All new players are welcome.

High school boys soccer team will practice today after school. All players must attend.

The Gaia Project Brings Hybrid-Electric Car to Blackville School

Students and staff check out the Hybrid Electric Car.

This past Friday, October 18, Brittany MacNaughton, representing The Gaia Project, visited Blackville School with a hybrid electric car.

The Gaia Project is a non-profit charitable organization with the mission to empower youth to take action on climate change through education.

Gaia Representative Brittany MacNaughton explains how the
vehicles tracks usage to Grade 11 student Brock Coughlan 

Through strategic partnerships, teacher support, enhanced student learning, and taking local action, they incorporate inquiry-based education, curriculum links, and local action in each of their projects.

The students were able to learn about the car and its advantages hands on. During a presentation, the students also explored the energy resources in New Brunswick and the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy.

For more information about The Gaia Project, click here.

Article by Abby Keenan
Photos by Paige Gorman

October 22nd - Sports Update

Elementary soccer teams played for the KD cup yesterday. The game ended in a 5-5 tie which is a great ending for the season for both teams. Goal scorers for team 1 were Allison Manderville, Dalas Curtis, and Garland Manderville. Goal scorers for team 2 were Nate Hallihan, Leia Stewart, Kolby McCormack, and JP McCormack.

High school boys basketball tryouts today at 4:00 pm.

High school girls basketball will be tomorrow from 3:30 to 5:00 pm.

Senior boys soccer practice is optional today. Boys will have practice tomorrow, Thursday, and Friday

Bucket Filler of the Week

The Bucket Filler of the Week is Zoe Kelly from grade 2Y. Zoe was given this award for being polite and a good friend to others and for never complaining. Great job Zoe, keep up the great work!

Visual Arts Students Explore Surrealism

During their first semester, Mrs. Moody's Gr. 9 Visual Arts class showed off their artistic abilities with a project on surrealism focusing on subjects such as visual puns or collagraphs. In this project the students had to choose an artist to research that used certain techniques in their work, providing an artistic informational page along side their curated art piece(s).

"Mood Swings" by Tara Martin and Amber Hambrook

Taking approximately two weeks to complete, the goal was for the students to experience and appreciate artwork, to learn how artists unleash their subconscious through the art of realism, and of course to have fun.

Mrs. Moody was very pleased with the results. "The students did very well with this project. I love to be able to showcase our talent here at Blackville School and this project did just that. Some of our artist pages were of professional quality. It was neat to watch my students take risks with their work, fail along the way and be proud of their final products, " she said. 
Grade 9 student Tara Martin worked with another student, Amber Hambrook, focusing on visual puns to create "Mood Swings," "French Fries," "Hot Dog," and "Cool as a Cucumber."

"We wanted to create pieces that were fun and that everyone could understand. We did a lot of researching online and got a lot of inspiration from the examples we found, then created our own," she explained.

"English Muffin" by Tyra Martin, Olivia Donahue, and Nathan Gillespie

Tyra Martin worked with classmates Olivia Donahue and Nathan Gillespie to create "English Muffin," "Hairspray," "Superbowl," and "Soap Opera."

These three students also focused on visual puns.

"While creating our pieces, I learned to slow down and take my time with everything. Our project took a little longer than expected, but we were all very happy with the result. Teamwork was a huge part of this project and that taught me a lot about how to work efficiently in a group and involve everyone's ideas in the pieces, " explained Tyra.

"I learned to just be myself and try new designs and to be creative," says Layne Jardine, another Visual Arts student.

Art can be a very connective learning experience from working together on creating an art piece, to sharing the outcome and feeling proud of your efforts. You can learn about more than just art from a Visual Arts class.

To view more of the Visual Arts projects, click here.

Article by Abby Keenan
Photos by Robyn Stewart

Strong Showing at Cross Country; Tied Game in Girls Soccer

Blackville school had a strong showing in the cross country race yesterday. Samuel Brennan placed 4th,  JP McCormack placed 2nd and Cheyanne Donahue placed 7th. Other participants were Ellie Jardine and Tyson Burns.

In Senior girls soccer action last night, the girls tied Baie Ste. Anne by a score of 0-0. The girls next see each action Saturday morning at 9;00 when they take one Baie Ste. Anne for a spot in regionals.

Senior Boys see action today after school at 4:30.

Boys hockey tryouts are Monday at 8:00 at the Civic Centre. Cost of tryout is $5.00 per person.

Senior Boys Last Home Game this Thursday

The girls middle school team played a hard fought game last night against NSER. The Senior boys soccer have the last home game this Thursday, October 17 at 4:30.

Senior Boys Soccer Team Roster

Name: Ty Croft
Age: 16
Number: 5
Height: 5'8
Nickname: Croft
Quote: "I miss 100% of the shots I take."

Name: River Steward
Age: 14
Number: 3
Nickname: Riv
Height: 5'6
Quote: "If you're not first, you're last."

Name: Drake Donovan
Age: 17
Number: 13
Nickname: Dra-Don
Height: 5'10
Quote: "Losers focus on winners, and winner focus on winning."

People's Picks - October 15th

This week, our category for People's Picks was "Hardest Working High School Student." The recipient, Jaden Vickers, was chosen by Mrs. J. Underhill because of his focus skills, his detailed assignments and his great work ethic both in and out of the classroom. Jaden is currently a Grade 9 student and when asked how he felt about the title, he said, "Well thanks I guess. It's nice to know that teachers like my work but it doesn't really matter to me either way." Outside of school, Jaden enjoys driving his dirt bike and talking with his friends.

Viewpoint: Climate Change

Thanksgiving Colouring Contest Winners

The winners of the Elementary Thanksgiving Colouring Contest were Kindergarten Dante Gilks, Grade 1 Caleb Sturgeon, Grade 2 Riley Kern, Grade 3/4 Jayda Jardine, Grade 4/5 Chloe Furlong, and Grade 5 Wilson Jardine

Congratulations to all the students! Keep up the great work!

2019 Election Special: The Local Candidates

Another federal election is fast approaching. We reached out to the 7 local candidates of the Miramichi-Grand Lake Riding and invited them all to respond to some questions.  Below are answers we received from candidates: Patty Deitch of the Green Party, Mathew Lawson an Independent, Pat Finnigan of the Liberal Party.

Patty Deitch, Green Party

Why do you think voters should consider voting for you? What do you think makes them worthy of their vote? 

Patty Deitch (Green): First and foremost, I believe the Green platform is one that is very responsive to all Canadians and most effectively addresses the challenges we face environmentally and recognize and responds to the difficulties that many Canadians face in terms of health, shelter, food security and financial security. That is why I have chosen to run for the Green Party and this is one reason that I would hope that voters would consider voting Green. For many years, I have been involved in activities that address environmental concerns, and as well, have worked on issues of poverty, homelessness, food security, and have advocated for individuals who have faced mental health and addiction challenges. In the past twenty years, I have been employed in community mental health work and for ten of the twenty years, I taught for the University of New Brunswick, Faculty of Nursing, and supervised student placements with vulnerable and marginalized populations. I am recognized for both my work ethic and commitment to advocacy.

Mathew Lawson (Independent): Voters should consider voting for me because I am the only candidate that will address and deal with the addictions, violence, and overdoses that we see in the world today.

Pat Finnigan, Liberal Party

Pat Finnigan (Liberal): My name is Pat Finnigan, I have served as the Member of Parliament for Miramichi Grand Lake for the past 4 years and am seeking re-election as your Liberal candidate.  I am asking voters for their support again so we can continue to move forward together and build on our successes of the past four years to support families, seniors, cut taxes for the middle class and to invest in strategic infrastructure projects that both creates jobs and supports the local economy and benefits the many rural communities in our riding.

In New Brunswick today, we see more young people leaving for other opportunities they cannot find here. If you were elected, what would you do in this riding to address this issue?

One Loss and One Tie at Elementary Soccer Jamboree

Elementary soccer players had fun at the ASDN jamboree. Blackville team 1 defeated NSEE with goal scorers Allison Manderville, Samuel Brennan, and Garland Manderville. They tied Miramichi Rural and then lost to Rexton.

Middle school girls soccer team play tonight at King Street 5:30. Girls are asked to be at the field by no later than 5:10.

Reminder to high school boys soccer team that they have a home game on Thursday against Sunny Corner.

Bucket Filler of the Week

This week's Bucket Filler is Lily Mackeigan. Lily was given this award for her great listening skills, her positive attitude, and being a kind friend to all. Great job Lily, keep up the great work!

High School Girl Soccer Sports Roster

Name: Jayna Brennan
Age: 16
Number: 19
Nickname: J. Brizzle
Height: 5'11
Quote: "I like Ty Croft." 

 

Name: Eden Lynch
Age: 14
Number: 8
Height: 5'4

Name: Hailey Singer
Age: 13
Number: 6
Nickname: Singer
Height: 5'2
Quote: "I'm not in the mood for this right now."

Sports Update: October 11th

Girls middle school soccer team lost a hard fought battle last night. Girls will practice today after school until 4:15.

Reminder to middle and high school soccer players that your soccer fee is due today.

Basketball sign up sheet are now posted for middle school and high school. Please sign up if you are interested in playing.

This Week's Bucket Filler is Becca Hallihan

This Week's Bucket Filler this week is  Becca Hallihan in grade 1L. Becca was chosen because she is both kind -hearted and polite.

Great job Becca, and keep up the good work!

Blackville Student Council Members Attend National Leadership Conference in British Columbia

Emma Hallihan and Jorja Donovan

This year, Jorja Donovan (Gr. 10), Emma Hallihan (Gr. 10), and Emma Sturgeon (Gr. 11) of the High School Student Council attended the Canadian Student Leadership Conference in Abbotsford, British Columbia. Recently we reached out to Jorja D. and Emma H. to reflect on their trip.

Conference Location,  Theme and Purpose

Our trip was called the Canadian Student Leadership conference, or CSLC for short. It was in Abbotsford, British Columbia. The basic theme was empowering your inner resources.

The purpose of our trip was to improve our leadership skills and bring back skills and information to our fellow student council members to help better our school, and the events we hold.


Learning Experience

I learned that in order to be a good leader you need to inspire others. You need to be including of everyone when planning events for your school so you will get more participation.

 I learned that getting your school involved isn't as hard as it seems, and if you do it right getting everyone involved with school is simple.


Additional Activities

We went to a pre-conference in Vancouver. During our time in Vancouver we went to Whistler and went up the mountain on a gondola. We went from peak to peak as well. We also went to Capilano suspension bridge. It was a lot of fun.

Trip Highlights

I think the best part of my trip was meeting all these new people and opening my mind to making new friends. Also, reconnecting with old friends I have previously met was another highlight. But most of all I enjoyed staying with my billet family.

The best part of my trip was getting to meet all different people around the country, going to live with a billet family, and the pre-conference 

Re-living the Experience 

I would do it again in a heartbeat because it really was such a great experience. I met tons of new people and learned lots of new things.

I think I would do it again because it was something you don’t get to experience very often, especially with your friends, and I learned a lot. 

Important Take Home Points

Some things I took away from the conference is that in order to lead, people need to want to follow. You need to be accepting of everyone, and include everyone in anything the Student Council is going to plan for the school.

As well, something I learned is that you can't jump right into all different activities because not everyone wants to participate in things so you have to start with small and easy things for your school to do. Then work your way up to big activities so in the end you can have more people participating.

A Tie and a Loss for Elementary Soccer; Senior Boys and Girls Play Tonight

Elementary soccer action last night saw Blackville host NSEE. In the end, Blackville regained some momentum and came back to tie the game. Goal scorers were Garland and Allison Manderville, Tyson Burns, Dallas Curtis, Samuel Brennan and Avery Hallihan with his first career goal.

Blackville team 2 travelled to  Gretna Green and lost a close match. Goal scorers were Nick and Nate Hallihan.

Senior boys have a home game tonight at 4:30. Senior girls soccer team will be traveling to CNBA for a game at 4:30.

Student of the Month

Middle School Student of the Month was awarded to Chloe Curtis in grade eight. Chloe was given this award for her citizenship, Chloe shared her product, Chloe's Legit Lip-balm, with ASDN ICE Center. Chloe is still growing and expanding her business. Keep up the great work!

Sports Update: Two Wins for Elementary Soccer

Both elementary soccer teams were victorious on Thursday night. Blackville team 1 defeated Carrefour Beausoleil with goal scorers Garland Manderville, Sam Brennan and Allison Manderville.

Blackville team 2 defeated Eel Ground with goal scorers Nate Halihan, Nick Hallihan, Kohen McCormack, Allie Hallihan, Lincoln Colford and Chloe Furlong.

The Senior girls soccer team suffered a tough loss on Thursday to Stanley by a score of 3-0.

Viewpoint: Students Share Hockeyville Experiences

People's Picks - High School Teacher Edition

Mr Norton, high school math and science teacher.

The High School Teacher of the Week for September 30 - October 4 is Mr. Norton. Mr. Norton teaches two classes in high school including physics and math, and three physical education classes in elementary. When asked how he felt about winning, he replied, "It is awesome. It means a lot to me that the students would vote for me and that they respect me. Also I'd like to thank my awesome physics class along with my other students for giving me the opportunity to be Teacher of the Week."

A Hockeyville Reflection: When Small Communities Do Big Things

Sports Update

Elementary soccer action tonight:

Blackville (team 1) will host Carrefour at 4:15 pm, and Blackville (team 2) will travel to Gretna Green for 3:30.

Middle school girls soccer team lost a close match against NSER last night. Girls are back in action Thursday at 4:00 pm.

The Sr. girls soccer team continued league play last night with a 3-1 win over CNBA. Scoring for the girls were Kensen Brennan, Jayna Brennan, and Dakota Curtis. The girls will practice tomorrow after school, and will have their next game on Thursday in Stanley.

Note: High School Hockey players can get their waiver forms from Mr. Norton. These need to be returned as soon as possible!

This Week's Bucket Filler is Lucas Sturgeon

This week's Bucket Filler is Lucas Sturgeon from Kindergarten. Lucas earned his award by being well-mannered, kind to his peers, and always helping during clean up time! His positive attitude towards learning played a huge role in choosing him for the Bucket Filler award. Great job Lucas, and keep up the great work!