Parent Newsletter

Email: macdonalddrivejrh@nlesd.ca
Website: mdjh.info
Location: 110 Macdonald Drive, St. John's, NL, Canada
Phone: 709-753-8240

• Wednesday, November 11 - Remembrance Day (no classes)

• Friday, November 27 - All Term 1 work now due

• Monday, November 30 - P/L Day for Teachers (no classes)

It has been a wonderful start to the 2026-2027 school year! Our students have settled into their routines, are building positive relationships, and are working hard in their classrooms. It has been a pleasure to see their enthusiasm for learning, their growing confidence, and the many ways they are supporting and encouraging one another each day.

As we continue into the school year, we look forward to building on this positive momentum and creating meaningful learning experiences that inspire curiosity, foster growth, and help every student reach their full potential.

I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to our parents and families for your continued support and partnership. A strong home-school connection plays an important role in student success, and we are grateful for the trust, encouragement, and commitment you bring to our learning community. Together, we can create an environment where every student feels valued, supported, safe, and motivated to do their best.

As always, we are proud of our students and thankful for the dedicated staff and supportive families who make our school such a special place to learn and grow.

We look forward to a successful year filled with new opportunities, achievements, and wonderful memories.

If you are not already on our PowerSchool network- please drop by the office at anytime for assistance. This platform is essential to student and family success.

Sincerely,

Dr. Carolyn Stacey

MUN is offering Math Enrichment Classes and a Competition for all students from Grade 1 to 12 through the Canadian Math Kangaroo. Registration is now open for the enrichment classes, which take place online. The competition is held on the third Sunday in March at MUN or can be completed online. Registration is the responsibility of parents and can be completed at https://mathkangaroo.ca/; the deadline to register for the competition is in February.

1. PSLC 2026 (Provincial Student Leadership Conference): Six of our student leaders attended the PSLC on October 15-17 at Prince of Wales Collegiate. Students participated in a variety of events at the conference aimed at building leadership skills. We are excited to bring these new ideas to our student council at MDJH! Add the pics attached.

2. Our student council is now in place for the 2026-27 school year. We have 38 student leaders and 2 teacher sponsors: Ms. Sauvé and Ms. Seaward. Our first meeting was held on Oct 13. Student council members are reminded to complete and return their contracts ASAP. We are excited to embark on a fun and rewarding year of student leadership!

3. Hallowe'en: Our main Hallowe'en event for this year is a costume contest on Friday, Oct 30! Students will go to the gym on Hallowe'en and judges will award prizes to the first and second place winners at each grade level. We will also be decorating the school for Hallowe'en.

On behalf of the MDJH staff we would like to extend our sincere thanks to the families and the community of Macdonald Drive Junior High for your incredible generosity and support towards the Terry Fox fundraiser campaign.

Thanks to your donations and fundraising efforts, our campaign has been a tremendous success. The final total for this year ended up being $5000 for a truly great and worthy cause. This achievement would not have been possible without the kindness, enthusiasm, and commitment of our students, families, staff, and community members.

Your support will make a meaningful difference, and we are grateful for everyone who contributed in any way. Thank you for helping us make a positive impact and for continuing to demonstrate the strong community spirit that makes Macdonald Drive Junior High such a special place.

Thank you once again for your generosity and support.

Best Buddies is up and running again this year! We meet every second Wednesday during the second half of lunch in the gym. Best Buddies is a volunteer student group that fosters friendships between students with exceptionalities and students without. If you are interested in joining, the next get together will be on Wednesday, October 28th at 11:48 in the gym.

Grade 7 students have been busy recently, visiting the MUN Botanical Gardens.

The grade 8 science classes will be going on a field trip to the Fluvarium during the week of Nov 2 - Nov 6. They will explore biotic and abiotic factors that affect water quality. They will complete their water quality core lab in which they will retrieve samples from the river and perform tests for these factors.

The grade 9 science classes participated in virtual astronomy shows from the Mogh Ruith Virtual Planetarium which is new to the city. This program was presented by Edward Herrick-Gleason, an astronomy writer and former director of the Southworth Planetarium in Portland, Maine. They learned about the planets and stars and took a "tour" of the night sky.

MDJH Grizzly Robotics has been working on their solar powered irrigation system this fall. Students are in the process of designing the stands for the solar panels and testing the charging system before the installation of the system in the Grizzly Gardens greenhouse. The hope is to complete the project by spring 2027, alongside their underwater rover upgrades.

You may have questions following reports of a cybersecurity incident involving the School Lunch Association.

The Provincial School Lunch Program ordering system was not affected by this incident. The provincial ordering system operates independently and is not connected to the School Lunch Association’s platform. Our system remains secure and fully operational.

If you have any question, please contact schoolfoodnl@gov.nl.ca.

Thank you for your continued support of the Provincial School Lunch Program.

Do you have any gently-loved age and grade appropriate books and novels that you'd like to donate to the MDJH library? We're always interested in what you might care to give.

Thanks to Ms. Jenn Hanley for her donation of many of the Warriors books by Erin Hunter. They'll be appearing on our shelves soon!

A successful day of learning starts with a nutritious breakfast. No child should ever have to focus on a difficult test or pay attention in class while dealing with an empty stomach. Our morning breakfast program plays a vital role in fueling a huge portion of our large student body, ensuring everyone gets the healthy start they deserve. To keep this program running smoothly, we need our school community's help!

If you are able to volunteer or make a donation, please send an email to jenniferberesford@nlschools.ca. Thank you for helping us nourish and support our students!

New this year - MDJH Merch Mondays! On Mondays, wear your school merch, or dress in school colours.

Show your school spirit!

Cars are not permitted to travel around the back of the building when there are buses on our parking lot. Please proceed slowly and with caution when driving on our parking lot. As you can imagine, MDE and MDJH share the lot and it can become very congested. As always, we will be out front to assist vehicles navigating the rush hour.