Parent Newsletter

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

• September 30 - National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (no classes for students)

• October 9 - District Close Out Professional Learning Day (no classes for students)

• October 12 - Thanksgiving Holiday (no classes for students)

Midterms: January 22 - 29, 2027

Finals: June 10 - 17, 2027

• Grade 7: Math
• Grade 8: Math and English
• Grade 9: Math, English, and Science

All exams are 90 mins in length.

Students have several opportunities throughout the school year to participate in math competitions.

Math League is a school team that students can join. Team members work together to solve challenging math problems and develop their problem-solving skills. Math League participates in two competitions each year, competing against teams from other schools in the Metro area. Watch for an announcement about our first practice in October!

Individual Competitions are also available for students in specific grades:

• Gauss Contest: Students in Grades 7 and 8 can sign up to participate in May.
• Pascal Contest: Students in Grade 9 can sign up to participate in February.

The Gauss and Pascal are individual mathematics competitions hosted by the University of Waterloo. Students from across Canada and around the world participate. As each competition approaches, announcements will be shared with information about how students can register.

The Kids Eat Smart Walk for Breakfast will be taking place on Wednesday, October 7th.

You can donate online at www.kidseatsmart.ca and designate MDJH.

All MDJH music ensembles are officially underway, and it’s great to have our new and returning musicians back making music! Everyone should now have their instruments and be settling into their regular rehearsal schedule.

Our Grade 7 Band students will have a special Band Day Mini-Retreat on Saturday, October 10th from 10-2 here at the school. No strings for this event. It’s a fun day of music-making, sectionals, games, and getting to know their fellow band members. More details will be shared with Grade 7 Band families soon!

MDJH Choral Ensemble members should now all be active in the Choral Ensemble Google Classroom! This will be the choir’s one-stop shop for music and practice materials, concert details, and sectional information. Be sure to check in regularly so you don’t miss what’s happening. There is a lot of music-making ahead!

Student Council Elections are happening now. On Oct 2, we will vote for our Vice-President and President. We have 4 candidates for each position and students are campaigning this week! The election for each Class Rep is on Monday, Oct 5. Looking forward to a fantastic year of student leadership!

On Oct. 15-17, four of our student leaders will participate in the Provincial Student Leadership Conference (PSLC) held this year at PWC in St. John's. This is an exciting and rare leadership opportunity for our school! Students were selected based on their past leadership experience, their contributions to leadership at MDJH, and their willingness to run for student council executive.

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.

We are participating in the Thanksgiving Metrobus Food Drive from October 5th to October 9th. If you are able, non-perishable donations may be brought to the office. Students are to put their homeroom number and number of items on the bag as we will be recording which homeroom brings in the most goods. Many prizes will be awarded to homerooms.

Last year, our school robotics team laid the groundwork for an eco-friendly water recapture system at the Grizzly Gardens greenhouse by installing an eavestrough to collect rainwater. This fall, the group is continuing to advance the project by assembling a solar-powered pump to pull stored water out of the reservoir for garden use.

Beyond this student project, Grizzly Gardens is always looking for volunteers and donations, and we currently have plenty of plot space available for anyone interested in maintaining a personal hobby garden. To learn more, offer a donation, or get involved, please contact Mr. Ches West or Mr. Caleb Thorne.

The school lunch program is up and running! Reminder to parents that the ordering window for MDJH opens each Thursday morning and closes on Wednesday at midnight for meals to begin the following Monday.

For more information on how to register and make your orders, follow the link on the MDJH website.

Wednesday, September 30th marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. There will be no classes for students on that day.

We will be holding our Orange Shirt Day on Tuesday, September 29th. Wear an orange shirt to show your support.

For more information on this day of remembrance, visit the Government of Canada's official site.

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!

The Skills Canada 2026 Intermediate Challenge is coming up soon! Listen for announcements over the next couple of weeks to learn how to participate.

If you have questions, speak with Mr. Feener or Ms. Ghaney.

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.