Gonzaga Welcome Back Memo

Good afternoon,

Welcome and welcome back to all of our students and families for the 2026-27 school year! We are busy making preparations for our back to school plans and we would like to share some important information with you.

We would like to introduce ourselves to our new students and families as the administrative team this year at Gonzaga. The administrative team consists of Mr. Andrew Cluney, Principal; Ms. Gillian Browne and Mr. Peter Keough, Assistant Principals. If throughout the year you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. Our email addresses are as follows: andrewcluney@nlschools.ca; gillianbrowne@nlschools.ca; peterkeough@nlschools.ca.

Please review the information below for important updates for the new school year.

• Wednesday, September 9th, 2026 - First day back to school for students
• Friday, September 11, 2026 - 12:00 PM - Last day to make course changes
• Monday, September 14th, 2026 - Cafeteria services resume
• Thursday, September 17th, 2026 from 7:00 - 8:00 pm - Curriculum Night
• Tuesday, September 29th, 2026 - School picture day
• Friday, October 9th, 2026 - PL Day - No school for students
• Monday, October 12th, 2026 - Thanksgiving Holiday - No school for staff or students
• Wednesday, November 11th, 2026 - Remembrance Day Holiday - No school for staff or students
• Thursday, November 12th - Wednesday. November 18th, 2026 - Midterm Exams
• Wednesday, December 9th, 2026 - PL Day - No school for students
• Wednesday, December 23rd 2026 - Sunday, January 3rd, 2027 - Christmas Break - No school for staff or students
• Monday, January 4th, 2027 - Classes resume for staff and students (Day 2)
• Monday, January 25th- Friday, January 29th, 2027 - Final Exams
• Friday, April 9th - Thursday, April 15th, 2027 - Midterm Exams
• Monday, May 3rd - Wednesday, May 19th, 2027 - Advanced Placement Exams
• Friday, June 11th - Thursday, June 17th, 2027 - Final Exams

For the opening day of school we will follow the schedule below:

Level 1's

• 9:00 am - 11:30 am

• Doors open at 8:30 am

• The buses will run at their regularly scheduled time in the morning. Buses will not be making a return run at 12:00 pm. Any student who requires transportation home may wait in the LRC (Learning Resource Centre) for the afternoon bus run at the regular time at 3:00 pm.

• Upon arrival, students are expected to go to the gymnasium for a brief presentation by the administration before moving on to their homeroom (Period 1 of Day 1).

• Students will be able to locate their homeroom teacher and class by various lists posted on the walls of the gymnasium or by looking at their schedules on PowerSchool.

• At 10:30 am students will proceed to their 2nd period, slot B, class for 20 minutes followed by their 3rd and 4th period classes of Day 1 to meet their teachers and determine where their classes are located.

Level 2’s, 3’s and 4's

• 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

• The buses will not be making an afternoon run to the school. They will be making their regularly scheduled run departing the school at 3:00 pm.

• Upon arrival, students are expected to go to the gymnasium for a brief presentation by the administration before moving on to their homeroom (Period 1 of Day 1).

• Students will be able to locate their homeroom teacher and class by various lists posted on the walls of the gymnasium or by looking at their schedules on PowerSchool.

Any student wishing to register as a Level 4 student should email a member of the administrative team to arrange a meeting.

Regular classes will begin on Thursday, September 10th at 9:00 am for all students. It will be Day 2 on the schedule.

Please be advised in advance of our midterm, final and AP exams dates for semester 1 and 2. Parents/guardians and students are to be very aware of these dates and to be sure that students are present for these exams.

• Thursday, November 12th - Wednesday. November 18th, 2026 - Midterm Exams
• Monday, January 25th- Friday, January 29th, 2027 - Final Exams
• Friday, April 9th - Thursday, April 15th, 2027 - Midterm Exams
• Monday, May 3rd - Wednesday, May 19th, 2027 - Advanced Placement Exams
• Friday, June 11th - Thursday, June 17th, 2027 - Final Exams

PowerSchool is currently disabled as we are finalizing students’ schedules. Students will be able to log into PowerSchool to view their schedules on Tuesday, September 8th at 3:00 pm. Any student or parent who does not have a PowerSchool account is asked to email the administration. It is imperative that all parents/guardians have a Parent PowerSchool account in order to access students’ attendance; grades; student transcripts; RYCOR - our online financial system that will have to be used to pay the majority of school/athletic fees; among other important information. Using your child’s PowerSchool account will not work with these functions.

Students will have an opportunity to request course changes on Wednesday, September 9th at 3:00 pm. We will open the following Course Change Request Form for students to access and request changes to their schedules. No changes will be made due to teacher or friend requests. Our courses are near capacity and movement will be limited. Priority will be given to Level 3 students, based on graduation requirements. This form will open at 3:00 pm on Wednesday, September 9th and will close at 12:00 pm on Friday, September 11th, 2026.

Gonzaga High School will continue to use the SafeArrival system this year starting on Wednesday, September 9th. This system reduces the time it takes to verify student attendance, makes it easy for you to report your child’s absence, and helps staff respond to unexplained student absences. To learn more about this system and how to set up your account, please see here.

If your child will be absent for only part of the day, please contact the main office. If your child returns to school after the 9:00 am bell, please have them sign in at the office, unless they are a Level 3 or 4 student and they have a free period and have permission from a guardian to leave the building.

Please note with the system:

• ABSENCE NOTIFICATIONS ARE UPLOADED AT 3:00 PM
• The notification may state afternoon because we are sending the notification at that time
• If your child was only out in the AM it will update accordingly
• IT WILL UPDATE POWERSCHOOL AT THAT TIME
• Call 1-(844)-408-9360 Or download the app, or set up an account on your computer
• Choose full day on the reporting system (if your child arrives late due to an appointment or other reason, they sign in at the office with a note or phone call from a parent and we will update their attendance on PowerSchool for the remainder of the day)
• Late arriving to school: For late arrivals you may choose to skip reporting the absence, and when your child signs in at the office with a note or phone call from a parent explaining their tardiness, we will update the attendance on PowerSchool accordingly.
• If your child is signing out early we accept a note or a phone call from a parent to allow them to dismiss early and we will update PowerSchool attendance accordingly.
• For a previous day absence, you may send a note in with your child or phone the school and we will update the attendance on PowerSchool accordingly.
• SafeArrival School Messenger works with PowerSchool but it sends home notifications separately from PS.

There is no specific school supply list for high school students as each subject may require different resources. As long as students are prepared to take notes and have a calculator for the first week, they will have everything they need. Subject teachers will give further instructions if and when supplies are needed.

The upper parking lots are for staff use only. Students are NOT permitted to park in those parking lots. Students may park in the courts lower parking lot, the side parking lot by the field and the back parking lot by the cafeteria. We encourage students to carpool or avail of bussing as much as possible throughout the year as parking is very limited.

The Bus Planner Parent Portal is now open and activated for your busing information. Parents who created an account last year can now login and view their child's eligibility, and if eligible, view their transportation schedule for first day of school here:

Parent Bus Portal Login

Parents who have not already created an account (and wish to do so) can go in, create an account and add their child to their account at the above link as well.

Parents will need the following information in order to add their child:

1. Student Number (found on PowerSchool)

2. Student Date of Birth

3. '26-'27 School

4. '26-'27 Grade

Parents/guardians are asked NOT to use the circular roundabout/drop off area in front of the school in the morning before 9:00 am. Buses cannot get up the roundabout if cars are there which is a safety concern for our students, especially in the winter months. Parents can drop children off on Smithville Crescent or use the staff parking lot.

There will be 14 Gonzaga's school buses that will line up behind Rennie's River Elementary in the ANC's parking lot during dismissal. This will help to reduce congestion on Smithville Crescent and the surrounding area. Buses will start to arrive at 2:30 pm and should depart starting at 3:15 pm.

If your child is not eligible for the bus, we will be looking at the possibility of issuing courtesy seats. In order to issue a courtesy seat, it is important that all eligible students are seated first. Once we are aware of the availability of seats on each bus we can begin issuing courtesy seats. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. Please email completed Courtesy Seat Request Form to gillianbrowne@nlschools.ca.

Cafeteria service is planning on returning on Monday, September 14th, 2026.

We have students and staff at Gonzaga with severe life threatening allergies to: all fish products, all tree nut products, peanuts including peanut butter and all peanut butter products, and eggs. Nutella products will not be permitted. Also, since it is very difficult to distinguish between peanut butter and Wow / Soy butter, the NLSchools does not permit any food items containing these ingredients in schools. It will be very important for us to work together to help create a safe learning environment for all. If your child has a diagnosed allergy by a medical doctor, please contact one of our guidance counsellors, Ms. Tracy Gardiner, tracyanngardiner@nlschools.ca, or Ms. Catherine Rose-Jackman, catherinerosejackman@nlschools.ca, or Ms. Lori Hare, lorihare@nlschools.ca, to complete the necessary forms. Also, these forms must be completed each school year and can be found on the NLSchools website.

All NL Schools buildings are scent aware sites. Many of our staff and students are sensitive to certain products that can cause allergic reactions and respiratory distress. All staff, students, and visitors are reminded to not wear or use any scented/fragranced products while inside any NL Schools building.

Curriculum night is going to take place on Thursday, September 17th from 7:00 - 8:00 pm. Doors will open at 6:30 pm. Parents / guardians are free to move throughout the building until 7:00 pm. At that time, we ask that parents/guardians go directly to their child’s slot A class on Day 1 of semester 1. You will follow your child’s daily schedule for semester 1. Please have a copy of your child’s schedule. If you have any specific questions pertaining to your child, please email the teacher directly after your meeting.

Slot A (Period 1 Day 1) from 7:00 - 7:15 pm

Slot B (Period 2 Day 1) from 7:15 - 7:30 pm

Slot C (Period 3 Day 1) from 7:30 - 7:45 pm

Slot D (Period 4 Day 1) from 7:45 - 8:00 pm

Picture day will take place for all students on Tuesday, September 29th. Information on Graduation photos will be sent out when it becomes available.

The Association for New Canadians is under construction with a new project and they wanted to keep parent/guardians informed of our ongoing work in the neighbourhood.

Please find the following explanatory document related to the renovations occurring at the old St. Pius X Rectory at 16 Smithville Crescent. All development permits for the work have been approved by the City of St. John’s and they are working closely with their contractor, Allied Construction, to ensure the safety of our students.

We are anticipating minimal disruption to any traffic in the area, but they will keep our school community informed if anything should arise.

Our office will be open for your inquiries starting on Friday, August 28th from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.

For your information, we will be sending home weekly memos to families on most Fridays. If you or someone you know are not receiving these emails, please reach out to one of us and we will add you to the email list. Please be sure to check our newest school website often for any and all Gonzaga related information.

Please enjoy the last few days of your summer break! We look forward to working together throughout the year to ensure that all our students find success and have a great year.

Kindest regards,

Andrew Cluney, Gillian Browne & Peter Keough