Clearspring Middle School
September 2017
Principal's Message
Getting ready to open a new school year is always exciting and always new. We have new class groupings to consider, new students who are joining our school, and students will have new teachers and make new friends. As we prepare for students to come to school, we work hard to keep students at the centre of our planning. We remind ourselves at the start of every year that, every day, parents entrust us with that which they hold most precious. It is a trust and responsibility that we take very seriously. We intend for, and work toward, each student to come to school with hope and energy for learning each day.
I have been very impressed with our students this year. They are eager to volunteer for work around the school, they have a positive attitude, and treat one another with respect. Problems are sure to arise, but when we begin with a solid foundation, finding the solutions to the problems becomes easier.
Clearspring Middle School has adopted the Hanover School Division focus of Deeper Learning. What we mean by Deeper Learning has been well summarized by our Superintendent, Mr. Randy Dueck:
[T]he phrase Deeper Learning can mean almost anything, what do we mean when we say Deeper Learning? We mean a clear focus on learning those essential skills, dispositions, knowledge and values. We mean more relevance, more rigor, more curiosity, more connections, more questions, more clarity, more community, more preparation for a digital world, and even more adventure. And we mean deeper academic engagement, social engagement, emotional engagement and intellectual engagement. After all of our work on Our Kid we have identified eight deep learning competencies, all eight of which we have identified as essential for “Our Kid” to flourish. To be a Learner, Critical Thinker, Communicator, Collaborator, Literate, Creative, and to exhibit good Citizenship and Character. http://hsd.ca/deeper-learning/introduction/
Clearspring Middle School has made a strong commitment to being the best middle school we can be. We use as our guide sixteen characteristics of a successful middle school as outlined by the Association of Middle Level Educators (AMLE). In addition to that, we have made a promise to our community, which is printed elsewhere in this newsletter. We intend to keep our promise, and invite parents to engage with us as we seek to help all students learn at the highest levels possible.
Changes at CMS
Some changes to note for this school year are staff changes (listed elsewhere and on our website - just further down on this page) and our school day schedule changes. We have created slightly longer breaks for Grades 7 & 8, and have added morning and afternoon recess for Grades 5 & 6. In addition to that, we have adjusted our school schedule to make the morning a little longer, and the afternoon a little shorter. For many parents, this may mean that your child will want to eat a more substantial snack at recess, and if you are planning a lunch-time pick-up, our lunch hour now begins at 12:17 and ends at 1:12.
We are looking forward to a great school year!
Important September Dates
Thursday, September 7th - Picture Day
Monday, September 11th - First Note Night
Friday, September 15th - Strong Connections
Monday, September 18th - Strong Connections
Friday, September 22nd - Cross Country Run #1
Tuesday, September 26th - Terry Fox Run
Wednesday September 27th - Friday, September 29th - Gr. 7's go to Cedarwood
Friday, September 29th - Cross Country Run #2
Looking into the Future
Monday, October 9th - Thanksgiving - NO SCHOOL
Thursday, October 12th - Gr. 6 Immunizations
Friday, October 20th - NO SCHOOL
Friday, October 27th - Theme Day
Monday, October 30th - NO SCHOOL
Tuesday, October 31st - Gr. 6 Learning Trip
2017-2018 CMS Staff
Administration
Vice Principal Merrilee Plett
Teaching Staff
Grade 6 Kevin Storey
Grade 6 Leanne Warkentin
Grade 6 Murray Carter
Grade 7 Amanda Manchulenko
Grade 7 Belinda Massey
Grade 7 Sheldon Hiebert
Grade 7 Jennifer Rogalsky
Grade 7 Ronae Warkentine
Grade 7 Scott Johnson
Grade 8 Paul Reimer
Grade 8 Jon Kornelsen
Grade 8 Peiki Loay
Grade 8 Kevin Martens
Grade 8 Chloe Tate
Phys-Ed Trevor Paton
Band Toban Janzen
French Helen Malandrakis
Industrial Arts Neil Downie
School Counsellor Cyndy Ganz
Resource Grade 5/6 Sherrise Trinh
Resource Grade 5/6 Candace Campbell
Resource Grade 7/8 Douglas Mack
Support Staff
Assistant Office Manager Breanne Smart
Library Support Specialist Arlene Baldwin
Educational Assistant Amber LeRoy
Educational Assistant Laura Borsch
Educational Assistant Brenda Roeland-Binda
Educational Assistant Carrie Charriere
Educational Assistant Gwen Dueck
Educational Assistant Louella Geisheimer
Educational Assistant Katelyn Martens
Educational Assistant Dave Mensies
Educational Assistant Helen Sawatzky
Educational Assistant Frank Praetsch
Educational Assistant Ruth Sawatzky
Educational Assistant Jennifer Sierks
Educational Assistant Michael Wiebe
Educational Assistant Sharon Froese
Head Custodian Dave Friesen
Ass't Head Custodian Richard Kolesar
Clearspring Middle School
Email: cms@hsd.ca
Website: cms.hsd.ca
Location: 1 Brighton Lane, Steinbach, MB, Canada
Phone: 204-346-9644
