DECEMBER 2016

MURDOCH MACKAY COLLEGIATE

260 Redonda St.

Winnipeg, MB R2C 1L6

Ph. 204-958-6460 Fax: 204-224-5920

Email: mur@retsd.mb.ca

Principal

Mr. John Muller

Vice-Principals

Mrs. Carol Kovacs

Mr. Don Kupiak

RETSD Board Office

PH: 204-667-7130

CALENDAR

DEC 13 Winter Concert

JAN 9 Classes Resume

(End of Winter Break)

JAN 18 Early Dismissal

JAN 27 - FEB 2 Semester 1 Exams

FEB 3 NO CLASSES

FEB 6 Day 1, Semester 2

FEB 16 OPEN HOUSE

FEB 17 NO CLASSES

FEB 20 Louis Riel Day

FEB 22 Early Dismissal

MAR 3 Registration Day

MAR 17 NO CLASSES

MAR 27 - 31 Spring Break (Inclusive)

Winter Break

Dec 23, 2016 to Jan 6, 2017

N ovember 10, 2016 11:00 a.m. – once again Murdoch MacKay

Collegiate students created a beautiful and thought provoking

Remembrance Day service. Attended by not only the Murdoch

MacKay student body and staff but also a number of members in

our greater community of Transcona - who later shared how much the service

touched them personally. The Cadet team under the direction of CPO2 Caleb

Nash-Wollman (RCSCC Transcona) were sharp in execution and worked

wonderfully with The Royal Canadian Legion Transcona Branch #7 Colour Party

and Piper Robyn McCombe. Our Murdoch MacKay choir, under the direction of

Mr. Ben Campbell, performed our traditional pieces of O Canada and God Save

the Queen, as well as A Little Brighter, a composition selected for the theme of

this year’s service: My Story. It was a beautiful production. The students who

performed various pieces for the service included: Iain Ingram, Charlie

Yackoboski, Alliyah Kowalson, Carter Heintz, Grace Minsky, Evan Evaniuk,

Trinity Mineault, Brittney Khalaf, Kaitlin Jackson, Jarrell Cook, Raven

Morrisseau, and Mia Mazur. Their work ethic in preparing for this service is

most commendable. They were fortunate to hear from Mr. Peter Martin who

took the time to come in and assist with the creative thinking process,

especially in regard to his father Mr. Paul Martin, as the students worked on the

biographies of various individuals selected to convey how war has touched their

lives. Ms. Street, Ms. Blahey-Hasay, and a number of students pulled together a

fantastic honouring of those fallen with a Poppy Wall of Remembrance.

2

MUR Student W. Mustard,

pictured here with Librarian

Ms. B. Sciberras, presents:

"The Canadian Army

Newsreels"

to Murdoch MacKay Library .

A REMEMBRANCE DAY

GIFT TO MURDOCH

On November 10th, 2016, Murdoch MacKay

student Wesley Mustard, a member of War

Amps, made a noteworthy contribution to

Librarian Ms. Sciberras for the school

Library. Students and staff alike can now

appreciate the historical value of The War

Amps 6 DVD set that contains a series of

106 Second World War newsreels filmed

and produced by the Canadian Army Film

Unit.

Thank you once again to Wesley and his

family for the generous donation.

Monday, October 31, 2016

T hank you to our community for supporting the efforts of our Murdoch Students to collect non-perishable food items.

Instead of trick-or-treating for candy on October 31st, a group of students from Murdoch MacKay's Charitable Ideas

group went trick-or-treating for food donations. The group spent several hours going door to door asking for food items

despite the cold/rainy weather. All food collected was donated to the Transcona Food bank.

Again, a big thank you to the surrounding community for your generous donations.

3

Starting on MONDAY, Dec. 5, Murdoch will be having a Hamper Hunt! Each week, different teachers will be

collecting food items for Christmas Hampers that will be given to families in need.

There will be weekly prizes for participation, and a grand prize draw at the end of December. *See the

posters around the school for more details!

When Department Category Items

Week 1: December 5-9

English Grains - Oatmeal

- Pasta

- Rice

- Scalloped/Mashed

Math Sweets - Jelly Powder

- Cookies

- Sugar

- Cake Mix

- Candy/Chocolate

Week 2: December 12-16

Science Drinks - Juice

- Tea

Social Studies Sauce - Gravy Mix

- Cranberry Sauce

Week 3: December 19-22

Gym Cans - Soup

- Tuna

- Vegetables

Office/Industrial Arts Breakfast - Peanut Butter

- Pancake Mix

- Pancake Syrup

- Jam

ALL ITEMS COLLECTED WILL BE DONATED TO THE CHRISTMAS CHEER BOARD!

*The grand prize: Jets tickets and a Murdoch hoodie.

4

Students from Murdoch MacKay competed in the annual Welding Skills Competition; put on by the CWA (Canadian Welding Association) and hosted by Red River College.

They finished in second place behind MacDon Industries in the annual bridge building competition. Our students all received brand new BLUESHIELD welding jackets for their efforts.

The results were based on how many PSI the bridge could withstand before the structural integrity was compromised. Our students had nearly a 4000 lb improvement from the previous year!

Congratulations to the following students:

Trey Chaske

Philipp Kister

Nathan Gusowski

Carly Lawton

Here are the results:

MacDon - 10 357.46 lbs.

Murdoch MacKay Collegiate - 6652.43 lbs.

Proforma - 4543.61 lbs.

Red River College - 4426.71 lbs.

MITT - 2165.02 lbs.

5

FEBRUARY 16, 2017

OPEN HOUSE

Nothing heightens awareness like hands-on experience! We will

be giving future students the opportunity to better understand

the skilled trades and technologies we incorporate into our

grades 9 to 12 Metal Fabrication program by hosting an

interactive Try-A-Trade and Technology activity night at the

February Open House at Murdoch MacKay Collegiate! This is an

excellent setting to showcase equipment and get a hands on

approach to some of the equipment used in our vocational

program. Safety gear will be provided by the instructors.

Get ready to interact with MIG welding, CNC Machining, a virtual

welder and an assortment of other equipment students use and

take a look at some of the projects students make.

We will see you Thursday Feb. 16 from 6-8:30 in room 191—the

Metal Fabrication shop!

A big THANK YOU to Murdoch

MacKay staff and Woman’s

Wellness for your generous

donations to Koats for Kids this

year. In addition, students of

Murdoch MacKay worked hard

to fill orders for coat hooks; all

proceeds go to Koats for Kids.

Great job Murdoch!

Metal Fabrication Program

Continued on page 6

6

Skateboards, longboards, paddles, phone docks, music instruments (guitars/drums), furniture, intarsia (artwork) are only a few of the great projects you can create in Woodworking at MUR.

In woodworking, students will further their development and knowledge base in practical application of hands on skills; with the added benefit of taking home a quality project to last a lifetime. Best of all, there are no pre-requisites for this course; allowing students to enroll at any grade level.

We focus on creating and developing positive and safe working strategies; planning and design skills; problem solving skills; wood identification; basic and advanced tool/machinery processes; measurement, various wood separation, and joining processes, as well as wood finishing techniques. These processes are developed during the creation exciting projects chosen by students during the course.

Woodworking Class is a great place to build that project you’ve always wanted, and develop skills that will last a lifetime.

Come and see our display at the MUR Open House February 16, 2017.

FEBRUARY 16, 2017 OPEN HOUSE Continued.

Woodworking at Murdoch MacKay

F or several weeks, two grade 9 English classes planned, drafted, edited, enhanced, and rehearsed spoken word poems that they created about a topic of their choice. Students wrote about bullying, anxiety, fear, love, sports, pets, hobbies, and many other subjects of interest. Because students were told that they would be performing their poems in a poetry slam, they decided to name the event so that Mr. Joseph could send out an enticing invitation to the staff. “Space Slam” was

the title chosen by the students for this event. On November 22nd and 23rd, students entered the classroom to the sound of the “Space Jam Theme” and a strobe light for effect. Refreshments were served and many staff members also swung by to enjoy the performances. These performances were incredibly moving and students supplemented their powerfully written poems with music, props, movement, and even – in one case – a live cat. Encouraged to “leap” out of their comfort zones, students spoke about personal experiences and welcomed vulnerability in order to achieve their message. After each poem, audience members shared three things that they liked about the poem and performance. Tears were shed and laughs were shared but the environment was always warm and encouraging. These grade nines truly captured the spectrum of human emotion in their poems and left those who were able to witness their performances in awe. It was amazing to see these two groups of 14 year olds exceed all expectations by creating such a memorable event.

Space Slam

7

MADD Presentation-February 22, 2017

The staff and students of Murdoch MacKay Collegiate will be invited to attend a

presentation on the consequences of distracted and drunk driving called, In the Blink of an Eye. This presentation will take

approximately 1 hour. It is put on by MADD Canada and is sponsored by Manitoba Public

Insurance.

On November 17th, our Beyond the Hurt Youth Facilitators went to the Red Cross building to help launch Pink Day 2017—February 22. They

were asked to facilitate one of their anti-bullying lessons (that they typically facilitate to grade 6’s) to many adults in the room and did an amazing job! We finished off the day with Matt R. being interviewed on CBC Radio Noon, where he was a natural in answering the host’s tough questions. The students will continue to practise with the intention of facilitating to grade 6 students in RETSD in April 2017.

Congratulations to the following students on a great job: Matt R., Kaitlin H., Carter H., Caleb N-W., Athira R., and Tyler P.

C ity of Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman visited with students on December 1, 2016, first speaking about initiatives that he is bringing to City Hall, and then took questions from

students. He certainly didn't shy away from any questions that were asked! Murdoch was the 28th high school he has visited in his short time as mayor.

8

Guardian Angel Fashion Show

Clothing Swap

DECEMBER 1ST, 2016

F ashion has been busy!

Students past and present are regularly asked for their expertise by professional fashion organizers. So far this year our students have worked backstage at two amazing

fashion shows. MC College, currently the only Winnipeg college to run a full post-secondary fashion program, and The Guardian Angel Fashion Show, a show designed to raise funds for women's cancers, requested the assistance of Murdoch MacKay's students, and they happily obliged. Our designers work one on one with models backstage ensuring that the shows run smoothly. Way to go kiddo's!

Savannah Felix, Aurora Donaldson, Katie Culleton

D. Miller

Fashion! Logo's! Entrepreneurs! Crafts(wo)manship!

All of these skills have been and are key to studying in the Fashion Design and Technology Department. This year, all students in Fashion are working on branding our new logo onto garments and accessories. Tina Jansen of Butchershop Skates came by and spoke with the students about running small businesses, and some of the ins and outs of doing so. Students were then given the opportunity, under her guidance, to press our new logo onto some of the projects they've been sewing up. Looking good designers!

On Thursday December 1st, the students and staff of the Fashion Design and Technology department hosted the first ever school wide clothing swap at Murdoch MacKay! Approximately 300 pounds of clothing were donated for the event that were then cleaned and organized into categories. Close to 150 students perused the garments and took home some nice FREE clothes that will be getting a new life and avoiding the land fill. A special thanks goes out to all that donated, helped out, and participated!

9

For the second year in a row a Murdoch MacKay Clansmen volleyball team was crowned KPAC champions.

Clansmen volleyball put forth 5 teams this year. From grade 9 girls, to varsity boys and girls, and two more teams in between, there

was a lot of volleyball happening in our gyms over the past two and a half months.

The grade 9 girls, coached by PE teacher Ms. Tilston-Jones, were thrust into the highly competitive KPAC league with grade 9s being

the recent addition to an already very deep pool of volleyball talent that comprises KPAC volleyball. The girls quickly realized the

true depth of volleyball in our conference, with high caliber provincial teams from MBCI and River East leading the way. Our girls

held their own at times with strong play from players Hannah Lee, Kayla Little, and Reese Lange.

The junior varsity girls, also coached by Ms. Tilston-Jones (a testament of her love of volleyball and coaching) and a recently

graduated and former Clansmen volleyball player, Hannah Perono, were one of the highlights of this year’s edition of KPAC

volleyball. This success, as is often the case, was driven by solid coaching, team work, and the strong play of a few particular

individuals. In particular, the versatility and setting skills of Shelby Schultz, the strong passing and defensive skills of Erica Aupe, and

the calm, cool business like play of Maryna Rozdymakha.

The junior varsity boys, coached by “new to Clansmen volleyball, but highly experienced club coach” Chelsea Needham, and

assistants, new MUR graduates Codey Melnyk, Camren Bagnas, and Wendell Natoc, were the favorites to win the KPAC banner again

this year after their championship title last year. It didn’t take long for the boys to quickly establish themselves as the team to beat

in Tier 2. Led by setter Nathan Bagnas and outside hitters Houston Friend and Andrae Ochoa, the boys were certainly a highlight in

Clansmen Volleyball this year finishing as repeat KPAC Tier 2 champions. As a result of their Tier 2 championship, the boys were the

first team in recent history from Murdoch MacKay to be awarded a provincial Tier 1 wildcard game. Although unsuccessful in their

bid to defeat Westwood Collegiate, this group of young men continue to show promise and will be a team to watch as many of them

move forward into the varsity program next year.

The varsity boys, coached by Stephen Strike, had a substantially better season than the previous. Finishing round robin play third

overall, the boys had reasonable aspirations of making it to a KPAC final this year. Their efforts would come up short at the hands of

Maples Collegiate in the semi-finals; However, it was the performance of graduating players Spencer Strike and John Quilnet, and

grade 11 standout Chase Newbiggin, that often led their team on the court with their attacking abilities and competitive drive.

The varsity girls coached by PE teacher Mr. Pieczonka, the girls were a very different team than the previous year. After graduating

Seven players from last year’s team, the girls looked to take on a whole new identity in the shadow of a championship season. The

girls were led by the play of, arguably the most diverse volleyball player on the team, Kerra Houde—who played just about every

position asked of her— and new addition Lauryn Harder, who herself came to the team as a middle hitter and quickly became the

teams most effective left side hitter. These two, along with graduating player, Cindy Martens, did their best to rally their teammates

through their efforts and leadership. A rollercoaster of a ride through the season created joys and frustrations that made finding a

team identity challenging. Despite a trip to the KPAC semi-finals, which in itself was a highlight, the girls were unable to defeat No.1

ranked Kildonan East.

All in all, it was a fun and successful year for Clansmen volleyball. With another championship banner, there is a lot of excitement

looking forward to future Clansmen Volleyball.

Go Clansmen!

10

ATTENTION: Potential Graduates

It may seem a long way off, but it will be here before you know it. Murdoch MacKay’s Graduation exercises will take place on Wednesday June 28, 2017 at The Winnipeg Convention Centre. Our Convocation begins at 1:30 pm at the WCC and the Dinner and Dance follows at 6:00 pm later that evening also at the WCC. Start the process of planning for this special day by thinking about the following things: 1) Take care of your grades (credit check anyone?). 2) What will I wear to the Dinner/Dance? Purchase gowns/rent tuxedos. 3) Saving for those Dinner/Dance tickets - $70.00 each (unlimited and on sale in May) Dates TBA. Family and friends are

encouraged to attend. 4) Getting involved with Grad Committees – Decorating, Mementos, Safe Grad, Dinner/Dance. Please see or call Mr. Simpson (204-958-6460 ext.2232) or email dsimpson@retsd.mb.ca if you have any questions regarding Grad. Let’s make Grad 2017 the best Grad ever!

Grade 12:

Credit checks were completed in November. A list of potential grads for June 2017 will now be created

This fall, we hosted presentations by the University of Manitoba, University of Winnipeg, Red River College, RCMP, and the Military for potential students regarding the programs they offer. Applications are available in the Student Services area or online at the respective institution’s website.

Manitoba Student Aid hosted a parent evening on November 24/16. If parents would like a copy of the presentation they are asked to contact Ms. Mann-Simpson at kmannsimpson@retsd.mb.ca and she will forward you a copy of the presentation.

Students will have the opportunity to attend the following Open Houses:

University of Manitoba (Feb. 23/17)

University of Winnipeg (Feb. 22/17)

Red River College (Notre Dame Campus) (Feb. 21/17)

Grade 9 -12:

Students who know a second language can write a Language credit Challenge Exam and earn up to 4 high school credits. The next Challenge for language credits exams will be offered in February. Please see Mr. Warren at the end of January if you are interested in registering for one of these exams.

All grade 11s will have the opportunity to attend the Rotary Career Symposium in March, 2017.

STUDENT SERVICES: COUNSELLING UPDATE

24-HOUR TELEPHONE SERVICES:

Kids Help Phone:

1.800.668.6868 or

www.kidshelpphone.

ca

Manitoba Suicide

Line: 1.877.435.7170

Crisis Line: 204.786.8686 / Toll free 1.888.322.3019

Sexual Assault Crisis Line: 204.786.8631 /

Toll free 1.888.292.7565 TTY

Deaf Access

Manitoba Farm & Rural Support

Services: 1.866.367.3276

(For rural and

northern

Manitobans. Mon.-

Fri. 10 AM to 9 PM)

11

On December 1st students from Ms. Dudek’s Grade 11

History class had the opportunity to participate in the

tour When Rights Are Denied at the Canadian Museum

for Human Rights. It was a great day of learning and

growth as a class. The students represented Murdoch

in stellar fashion.

ACROSS

2. Arithmetic

7. Koats for Kids

10. Preceptor

11. Ascertain

14. High Quality

17. Grade 12 students

18. You have to earn

it

19. Eight, Forty-five

20. Student Council

Presents (2 words)

21. Honesty

23. Grade Eleven

DOWN

1. Grade Nine

3. Tuesday,

December 20, 2016

4. Grade Ten

5. Murdoch MacKay

6. Hamper Hunt

8. In the Lab

9. Application of

knowledge

12. Thursdays

13. Reliability

15. Books

16. Clansmen

20. Training and

experience leads to

this

22. Grade Twelve

How well do you know Murdoch MacKay and our

Core Values? Test your knowledge; have fun.

Look for the answers on the MUR web page in

January!

12

A MESSAGE FROM ADMINISTRATION

On behalf of all of us here at Murdoch MacKay Collegiate, we would like to wish you a safe, relaxing, and joy

filled season! We are looking forward to our time together supporting your children in the new year.

J. Muller

C. Kovacs

D. Kupiak

O n one cold day this December,

hundreds of Transcona residents could

be found huddled together in a church

in North Kildonan, having braved the

wind-chill to travel to Murdoch MacKay Collegiate’s

Winter Concert.

After months of preparation and work, practicing at

home and rehearsing with focus and great energy at

school, Murdoch students were prepared to

perform several selections of music. The Jazz Band

played with energy, and several soloists were able

to improvise solos on the spot onstage, in front of

an audience. They were followed by the Concert

Choir, who performed four songs, including the

challenging “Ave Maria” by Charles Gounod and

sang with emotion and gusto. The Concert Band

rounded out the evening by performing three tunes

in completely contrasting styles, and demonstrating

musical precision, ability to show contrast and

dynamic playing, and musical sensitivity.

The evening culminated in an audience sing-along of

“We Wish You a Merry Christmas” played by the

Concert Band, with the Choir joining in to lead the

audience in the singing. It was a delightful, heart-

warming and truly successful event – everyone

involved should be proud of their accomplishments.

We all left the church feeling a little more Holiday

cheer than when we entered!

MURDOCH MACKAY

Covenant Christian Reform Church