Volume 20, Issue 3 December 2009/January 2010
Upcoming Events
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Dec. 3 Parent/Teacher Interviews 6:00-9:00 p.m.
Dec. 4 Parent/Teacher Interviews 12:00-3:30 p.m. NO CLASSES
· Dec. 7 Grade 9 -12 Christmas Concert
· Dec. 11 Grade 9-12 Christmas Banquet
· Dec. 14 Grade 6-8 Christmas Concert
· Dec. 16 Staff Meeting 2:30 Dismissal
· Dec. 18 Middle School Event (am) Noon Dismissal
· Jan. 4 Classes Resume
· Jan. 6-8 Grad Retreat
· Jan. 8-9 Gr. 9 Music Camp
· Jan. 11 PAC Meeting 7:00 pm
· Jan. 12-15 Grad Photos
· Jan. 15-16 Gr. 8 Music Camp
· Jan. 18-22 Spiritual Emphasis Week
· Jan. 27 Staff Meeting 2:30 pm dismissal
· Feb. 1 Open House 6:30 pm
· Feb. 15 Louis Riel Day NO CLASSES
· Feb. 17-19 Staff Professional Development Conference NO CLASSES
· Feb. 26 End of Term 2
· Mar. 3 Noon dismissal
· Mar. 5 Report Cards
· Mar. 5 Returning Fees & Forms Due
Mar. 8 PAC Meeting 7:00 pm
Mar. 18 P/T Interviews 6-9
Mar. 19 P/T Interviews NO CLASSES
From the Principal's Desk
“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, “Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him” - Matthew 2: 1-2
The Magi knew that something very special had happened. They wanted to be part of the birth of a Savior. God placed a star for them to follow and later a dream that warned them not to go back to King Herod. Since that time, many of us have experienced the impact that the birth of Jesus has had on our life. Like the Magi, we want to celebrate and worship the Christ who gives us light. Christmas is a time to follow that star to Jesus. We may take different directions along the way depending on how God leads us but at the core of the Christmas celebration is the clear understanding that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Lord. As we look forward to the many activities of the Christmas season, let us continue our search for the star just as the Magi did.
The first term of the school year is now complete and I am looking forward to meeting many of you at our parent/teacher interviews in early December. As a school, we are beginning to enter this busy season of celebration. We at MBCI are pleased to invite you to our Christmas concerts and the students are excited about the banquets and other activities planned for this time. The calendar of events for December lists all the activities that will happen at our school. We hope that these events will shed light on the importance of Christ in all our lives at MBCI.
Several significant events will also take place in January. During that month we will have our Spiritual Emphasis Week. Adrian Enns, our Campus Pastor, has invited Sam Dick from Mennonite Brethren Missions & Services International in Abbotsford, B.C, to speak to our students. This is always a very special time at our school. This year Grad Retreat will take place at Camp Cedarwood and Randy Carter of Straight Talk Ministries in Calgary will be speaking there. This event is always a highlight for our grads.
I would like to thank you, our MBCI constituency, for your support of our school. The Lord has blessed us in so many ways and I am thankful for the opportunity I have to be involved with providing Christian education. I would ask that you pray for the many meaningful events that will be happening at MBCI in the next few weeks.
Norbert Bargen
School Closing Due To Weather
In general, if Winnipeg Transit is running, so is MBCI. The MBCI website and the following radio stations will carry announcements regarding the closing or delay of school:
CHVN FM 95.1 CJOB AM 680 CBC AM 990
Parent Advisory Council
The meeting dates are as follows: January 11, March 8, May 10
Music Notes
Music Tour 2010 will take the Concert Band and Concert Choir to Ontario and Boston April 14-24, 2010. Fundraising for the trip continues throughout the year. The second tour payment of $300 is due on Friday, January 29.
The Gr. 8 and 9 Choirs and Bands will be going to their music camps at Circle Square Ranch, near Brandon. The Gr. 9’s go Friday January 8 to Saturday January 9. The Gr. 8’s go Friday, January 15 to Saturday, January 16. We are looking for parent chaperones for both events. If you can assist in this way, please get in touch with Mr. Taves at 667.8210 ext. 3005 or ttaves@mbci.mb.ca.
Sobeys gift cards ready for pick up on Thursday, December 3.
The Concert Band Chamber Ensemble Festival on Wednesday, November 18 was adjudicated by Connie Turner.
The Gr. 9 Choir and selected students from Gr. 9 Band will be performing at Bethania Personal Care Home on Thursday, December 17 at 2:00 p.m.
The Concert Band and Concert Choir will lead worship at Portage Avenue Church on Sunday, January 24.
Each year, the Manitoba Band Association runs something called a Christmas Tuba Festival for students who play tuba or euphonium. This year, for the 8th time, the event will be held at the Centennial Concert Hall on Saturday, December 12, 2009. About 70 (that's right - 70!) euphonium and tuba players from across the province will gather together to perform in the Piano Nobile (foyer) prior to a Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra Christmas Concert. For more information and the registration form, please go to www.mbband.org and click on Tuba Christmas.
Come to our Christmas concerts to help celebrate the season! Grades 9-12 perform Monday, December 7 and Grades 6-8 perform Monday, December 14. Concerts start at 7:30 p.m. in Jubilee Place. Tim Taves, Music Director
Sports News
Every year when there is supposed to be snow on the ground, I get excited because it is volleyball playoff time. MBCI’s volleyball teams have had wonderful seasons competing with teams from across the province and even outside the province.
Our Gr. 6-7 girls and boys’ have been practicing under the watchful and dedicated supervision of Melissa Blieske ’05 and Brianna Kasdorf ’09 (girls) and Mike Stephens and James Ellison (boys). The opportunity for our young student athletes to be able to practice under these coaches and to be able to watch the older teams compete is one of the many things that make MBCI special. At this level there are no playoffs so their season is almost winding down.
Our Gr. 8 teams have had a full season, playing in a full slate of tournaments and finishing their league play in first place, thereby giving them a home court in the playoffs. A big thanks to Sandy Malech ‘84, John Olfert ’87 and Dan Rempel ’89 for giving so generously of their time to train the teams and make the year such a positive experience for them.
The Gr. 9 teams have also enjoyed considerable success under the inspiring and passionate leadership of Kara Friesen ‘02, Courtney Henzel ‘08, James Ellison and Mike Stephens. Both teams finished their league play positioning themselves very high in the standings and looking forward to a strong playoff run. The Gr. 9 boys will go into the MVA Junior High Challenge as the number one seed.
Our Junior Varsity teams have once again challenged all of the teams in their league and in the province. Both teams advanced to the provincial championships, the boys as the #2 seed and the girls, as the #8 seed. Dave and Kim Tjart continue to pour their heart and soul, along with Kaitlin Livingston ‘09 & their twins, into bringing the girls along and creating a unified team that can compete with anyone. Ian Livingston ‘04, Ryan Malech ’07 and Mark Pauls ’02 have once again produced a strong JV team. Both boys and girls teams were defeated in the provincial quarter-finals.
Both of our varsity teams have advanced to the MHSAA AAAA Provincials. The girls are the #10 seed and the boys come in as the #3 seed. The guys had a great season winning four of five tournaments and losing a very close KPAC final. In Edmonton, the varsity boys defeated the previously unbeaten Grande Prairie twice to capture the Harry Ainlay title. Here in Manitoba both teams have spent much of the season in the top ten, with the boys holding that spot for much of the year. Kerry Wall ‘04, the first year coach for the girls has done a great job with the assistance of former Hawks Meredith Hawryluk ’03 & Shanti Plett ‘05.
Cross Country
Thanks to Dorothy Herr who willingly and persistently manages the Running club and encourages students to come out and enjoy running. This year we had two students who went to the Provincial Cross-country Championships, Lauren Charnock and Simon Dueck.
Basketball
The basketball season is just around the corner and we have some hungry coaches and players just chomping at the bit ready to get started. Practices will be starting the week of November 23-27. Gr. 9 Basketball Coaches Needed! We are still looking for coaches for our Gr. 9 teams and if you think that you could help out or know of someone who might be interested in those positions, please let us know.
Practice Schedule
Every effort is made to get the schedule up on our website by the weekend, however, if it is not there by Saturday evening, please check Sunday evening as that is usually the latest that it is posted.
Submitted by Brian Plett
Upcoming Christmas Events...
Every year, MBCI Staff and Student Council organize special events that allow students to celebrate the start of the Christmas season.
Grade 9-12 Christmas Banquet - December 11 @ 6:30 pm
The banquet will be held on December 11 at 6:30 pm at North Kildonan MB Church at 1315 Gateway Road. Please arrive at the church by 6:15 pm. Parents coming to pick up their children after the banquet should arrive by 8:30 pm.
We request that students dress with taste and modesty when attending the banquet. Dress is casual but students should not wear jeans and t-shirts. This is a school function and the dress code does apply.
In the past, some students and/or parents have invited groups of students to post-banquet parties. The school does not sponsor such events nor is the school a source of information about them. Parents should consult with their children and the sponsoring parents regarding after-banquet parties.
Middle School Christmas Event - December 18 (am only)
MBCI’s Middle School (grades 6-8) will be going to the Gateway Community Club on December 18 from 9:00 am to 12:00 noon. Period 1 classes will run as usual on that day. MBCI will provide transportation to and from the activity as well as a free pizza lunch. Students should bring skates, hockey sticks, helmets, gym clothes and board games. This event is free for all Middle School students. If you have any questions, please contact Ken Opalko at 667-8210 ext. 7102.
Parent/Teacher Interviews
How it will work:
Students will receive their report cards on Friday, November 27. Parents have the opportunity to schedule a 10-minute interview with two teachers for each child at MBCI. Additional appointments may be made on the day of interviews by signing up on the form at each teacher’s classroom. Teacher locations are shown on the back of the report card.
Appointments can be made by emailing djackson@mbci.mb.ca or by calling 654-5788 between Monday, November 30 at 8:00 a.m. and Wednesday, December 2 at 3:00 p.m. You should indicate:
- your name,
- the name and grade of the student,
- the two teachers you would like to meet with, and
- the day and approximate time you would like your appointments.
You will receive an email or phone call with your appointment times.
Please Note: No Classes - December 4
Parents of Prayer
We extend a warm welcome to all interested parents to join us for one hour of prayer in the MBCI prayer room beginning at 2:00. For more information, please contact Darlene Jackson at 669-4614 or Anne McKenzie at 237-9115.
Please feel free to email your confidential prayer requests to djackson@mbci.mb.ca.
Upcoming Meeting Dates:
- Dec. 10 (location TBA) Jan. 12 Jan. 26
Operation Christmas Child
MBCI, along with many other groups across the city and North America participated in Operation Christmas Child. OCC is a project of Samaritan’s Purse and works to fill shoeboxes with gifts and supplies to send to children across the globe particularly in Africa and South and Central America. Without this program, some of these children would never receive a Christmas gift, or the message of Christ’s love and birth.
This year, the students at MBCI compiled over 541 boxes! Ms. Dowbenko and Mr. Warkentine's SLGs (School Life Groups) won a student council contest for contributing the most boxes. Congratulations to everyone and Merry Christmas!
Submitted by Mike Neufeld
England Tour
Join Mr. Buhler & EF Educational Tour of England March 25-April 3, 2011
Next year’s Grade 11’s and 12’s, want to do something different for Spring Break 2011! Explore the enchanting land that shaped the greatest writers of classic works of literature. Stand with the guards outside Buckingham Palace, marvel at the magnificent architecture of Canterbury Cathedral, sit in Shakespeare’s chair, and see the ancient baths built by the Romans. From Manchester to London, this trip provides an enrichment of the AP Literature course and gives students firsthand experience of a new culture.
Enroll by November 30, 2009 to receive $75 off the program fee, and by December 15 to receive $50 off. To sign up, or for more information, please contact Reynold Buhler at 667.8210 ext. 5208 or rbuhler@mbci.mb.ca.
Hosting International Students
Interested in hosting a high school international student for 2010-11? You can visit with someone from another culture without leaving home! We are looking for Christian families who support the ideals of MBCI. Remuneration is provided.
Please contact Darryl Peters at 667-8210 ext. 3002 or dpeters@mbci.mb.ca for more details.
Continuing the Renewal
To all parents...it’s year-end. Students and teachers are enjoying the renewal of the campus that has been completed. Now we are planning to “Continue the Renewal” with phase 2, an administration building replacing the 1954 school building on Talbot Ave.
If year-end charitable donations are part of your tax planning program, please consider a gift to the MBCI Building Fund. Thanks for your care and support.
Bill Enns, Development Director
Prospective Students and their Parents
Open House Feb. 1,2010 6:30 pm
MBCI RESOURCES FROM YOUR HOME COMPUTER
As part of the MBCI library program, staff and students have home access to online encyclopedias, science reference books, and databases. These sites are updated daily which means that research done on these sites is as current as your daily news. In addition, the information at these sites is accurate, from reliable sources, and linked with many educational and reliable sites. The password and usernames for home access are given below.
Usernames and passwords are not necessary when accessing the sites from school computers.
1. Culturegrams - Encyclopedia of countries - their history, flags, foods, famous people, economy, government, culture, etc.
- http://online.culturegrams.com Username 64-60702 Password bigchalk
2. Junior Worldmark Encyclopedia of World Cultures – access at:
http://infotrac.galegroup.com
USERNAME winn01631 Password remote
3. Worldbook Online (English) and French version Decouverte can be accessed at http://www.worldbookonline.com
Type in the Username student3 and the Password 2mbci
4. Science Reference Books: Alternative Energy; Chemical Compounds; and Nutrition and Well Being can be accessed at: http://infotrac.galegroup.com
USERNAME winn01631 Password remote
5. Magill’s Medical Guide - go to http://www.health.salempress.com Password 2mbci
6. EBSCOHOST – contains a variety of databases suitable for different grades and topics. To access Science Reference Centre, GreenFile (Ecology/Environment info.), and Philosophy/Religion Centre click on the first link, Ebscohost Research Databases. Academic Database contains scholarly, academic periodicals which are useful for research papers. Explore the Canadian Student Research Centre as well for Canadian stats and info.
Access all at: http://search.ebscohost.com User ID: s214108 Password: password
KEEP IN CONTACT: Please forward any change of address, church affiliation (becoming a member of an MB church), new work/home phone number as soon as possible to Darlene Jackson (ext. 3108) at the school office.
Christmas Play
Our Gr. 10 Christmas play this year is entitled Home for Christmas, a sentimental story of faded memories, family relationships and old friends. The Clayton family has scattered to every part of the country. Some of them have been successful and some have difficult problems. Their mother isn't well and this may be her last Christmas. One of the daughters, determined that the family recapture something they seem to have lost, forces them all to come home for Christmas. The play will be performed in the drama theatre classroom on Tuesday, December 15th at 7:00 pm. There is no cost for this event, hope to see you there!