Year End Letter to Parents & Caregivers 2021

Dear students and caregivers of our Gordon Bell High School Community, 

As communicated last week by the Winnipeg School Division, remote learning will continue for the remainder of the school year. At our school, we have been following the provincial guidelines, which include remote learning for the majority of students, with exceptions made for students in our Inclusive programming, or who are at-risk of failure. These students have been invited in to the school for support by our staff, while limiting the overall number of students in the building. 

The purpose of this letter is to share information and important dates regarding the end of the school year. 

Student Mental Health/Well-being: We are aware that students and their families may need extra supports and mental health resources during these difficult times. Student Services has created a Google Classroom where students can access resources from wherever they may be from their computer or device. New resources and announcements are posted throughout the school year and students are encouraged to check the Student Services Google Classroom regularly (please call or email for code/invite). 

Counsellors are available to connect via email, virtually or in person up until the end of June: 

Kristen Wynnobel     kwynnobel@wsd1.org    Grades 7 to 9
Natalie Thompson    nthompson@wsd1.org   Grades 10 to 12   Last Names A to J
Sandra Vieira            svieira@wsd1.org          Grades 10 to 12   Last Names K to Z

Our Career Advisor is also available to connect with students and assist them with their post-secondary plans, volunteer and summer employment opportunities: 

Jordyn O’Dunn-Orto     jodunnorto@wsd1.org 

Grade 12 Graduation: Graduation will take place on Monday, June 28th on the Gordon Bell Greenspace and will comply with the Manitoba Public Health measures. Students will be assigned a time slot and will be permitted to bring two guests. Social distancing and masking protocols will be followed. Graduates are reminded to check the Graduation Google Classroom for updates regularly (please call or email for code/invite). 

While we recognize this is not the ideal graduation students may have envisioned, we are striving to do our best to make it a memorable and joyful experience for our graduates and their families. 

Grads and Students NOT Returning in the Fall: Your WSD account WILL be deleted this includes the contents of their WSD email, Google Drive (essays, projects, pictures, etc.), O365 or your home directory on the division file servers. EVERYTHING will be lost and CANNOT be recovered. As a reminder, it is important that you transfer or copy any material you wish to keep onto a personal account or device before June 30th. 

Final Marks and Assessments: As a staff, we continue to be committed to student well-being as we wrap-up and finish the school year strong. As much as possible, course marks will be based on outcomes identified and met during the course, not on final summative assessments. All teachers are working diligently to follow up with all students and caregivers. We encourage you to communicate with teachers and/or assigned guidance counsellor, if there are issues related to course work and completion. 

Important Year-End Events and Timelines: 

June 14 to 18: Teachers will be inviting small groups of 5 students maximum for individualized in-person support, for up to half a day (a.m. or p.m.). Parents/caregivers, or students (18 +) can request appointments in consultation with their teachers. In addition, teachers will be teaching all classes synchronously at the same time. Your patience is appreciated during this time. Note that this is by appointment only and all public health measures will be observed. 

June 18: Last day of formal synchronous classes for all grades. 

June 21 to 24: Individualized student support will continue by invitation or request. This support may include meetings with teachers to finalize presentations or conferencing, as well as support for credit attainment. 

June 21-25: Students and/or caregivers can return books and any remote learning devices* and pick up any items left at school. 

*All remote learning Chromebooks and iPads are to be returned during this week, and no later than June 25. 

• • Devices should be fully charged and turned off before bringing back to the school. 
• • Chromebooks need to be returned with their 2-piece chargers.
  • Lenovo CBs came with a laptop style charger (two prong plug that connects to a power brick).
  • Samsung CBs came with a black USB charging block and black USB-C cable. 
• Cellular iPads need to be returned with the case that was supplied, and their 2-piece chargers.
  • white USB power block and white USB-lightning cable.

June 25: Report Cards will be sent out electronically. 

June 28: Graduation Ceremony on Green Space. Finalized plan will be posted in the Graduation Google Classroom. Subject to change pending Public Health orders. 

June 30: Last day of school. Dismissal for students will be at 11 a.m. 

Reminder that the school will not be open during the summer months. Please see the following link for resources you can access during this time: 

https://www.winnipegsd.ca/page/9741/healthy-minds-mental-health-and-wellness-resource-guide 

The school office will re-open August 30, 2021. 

Timetables will be sent out electronically at the end of August.
 

We wish you and your family a restful and safe summer break and look forward to seeing you in the fall!

Best Regards,

Vinh Huynh - Principal

Dimitrios Anastasiadis - Vice Principal

Mercy Sackey -  Vice Principal