Fifth Edition - May 2025
The Mustang Messenger
Embedded Files
Excellence in Education Awards Given Out
By Madison Forster
On May 8th, a banquet was held at the Mitchell Golf Club, with 2 Madill educators and 2 students accepting an Excellence in Education Award: Mr. Jon Meekins, Mr. Mark Hoba, Sydney Bromley, and Madison Forster.
“Excellence in Public Education award ceremony is a special night,” said Bridget Hayden, Committee Chairperson. “We celebrate individuals all across the Avon Maitland District School board who are recognized for their efforts, including students, staff teaching staff, custodial staff, and EAs.”
Maureen Matchett, OSSTF TBU President from District 8, stated, “The Excellence in Ed banquet is always such a wonderful affair. I enjoy meeting so many student award winners and so many staff award winners. We have such a great time and we recognize that people do a lot and try their best each and every day.”
Former principal of FEMSS, Deanna Deelstra, said that she was “so excited to be here to congratulate all the recipients from my previous school and from my current school [SDSS]. It’s a great day to celebrate student-staff communities, and I think that the opportunity to just hear the stories of the incredible things going on is just really inspiring as an educator.”
“I was thrilled to be here tonight and super impressed with all the diversity and all the different things people were into, from music to science, biology and sports, and it really was just a coming together of all that is excellent in education, all that’s great about what we do. It's so nice as a school board chair to just sit back in and see the excellence in our students and in our staff and just celebrate it. It was just a whole lot of fun and it makes me really proud to be part of the school board,” said Michael Bannerman, School Board Chair.
All the recipients were celebrated with an award, and were encouraged to continue doing great things in their school and greater communities.
Children’s Mental Health Week Activities at Madill
By Rowan Gaspirc
Mustangs spent the first week of May raising awareness for Children’s Mental Health Week. The goal of the week’s activities was to give the student body strategies for improving their mental health.
On Monday, 3 ambitious students - Elyse Ireland, Aria LeRoux, and Rowan Gaspirc - led a flash mob for 10 classes. Music and moving your body has been proven to improve mental health, so these students combined them to brighten a Monday morning.
On Tuesday, the movement continued as students were encouraged to do a bit of exercise/activity throughout the day.
Madill kept the good feels flowing with a Gratitude Wall on Wednesday. During first period, students were given sticky notes and were encouraged to write what they were grateful for. These kind notes were put up in the front foyer, bringing smiles to everyone walking into the school.
Thursday at lunch Aria LeRoux led a mindfulness meditation session, which provided a calming break in the busy week.
Finally, on Friday all students were encouraged to perform random acts of kindness. You never know what someone is going through, so being kind is a great way to brighten someone’s day.
Great job Madill showing everyone that mental health matters!
Camp Celtic Trip for the Grade 8s
Sixty-two grade 8 students headed off on their year-end trip to Camp Celtic bright and early on May 9th. Students fundraised all year for this much anticipated, 4 day trip with their classmates and teachers Mr. Westra and Ms. Martyn.
Though the weather was a little chilly, it didn’t dampen the spirits of the energetic camp counsellors and Madill’s grade 8 group.
The first day offered the fun game of Survival, the chilly swim test, dining hall adventures, and an all camp game of Capture the Flag. There were also campfire antics and flagpole traditions.
On days 2 and 3, students participated in some fun activities including hiking the Bruce Trail, sightseeing at the Grotto, and taking part in choice interest sessions like canoeing, kayaking, archery, and dodgeball. Some students were even brave enough to try activities they’d never tried before.
The Camp Celtic 2025 trip was a success, with students making new friends and a lot of memories.
New School Senator Chosen
By Laura Dawson
Hey everyone, I'm Laura, and I'm thrilled to start as your new student senator for the 2025-2026 school year! I'm excited and feel a big responsibility. The nature of reality, as I see it, is that we're all connected, and this role lets me help bridge what students want to the people in charge. My main goal is to make sure everyone gets a fair say and that we take your worries seriously.
Being a student senator is all about learning and getting ready for what's next. So, I'm going to work on making our school resources better, supporting mental health, and making sure everyone feels welcome here.
In the end, what really matters is how we help each other and make a positive change in our community.
The Madill Mustangs are gearing up to run on June 11th!
By Adeline Todd
As the second semester winds down, students are eagerly anticipating the Colour Run; an exciting event hosted by our very own Madill Athletic Department.
Students will walk or run a course through the town of Wingham—while getting showered in colourful chalk powder. It’s a fun-filled way to celebrate the end of the school year and show off that Mustang spirit!
This annual event is a great way to bring the school community together. Whether you're running or walking it's all about having fun and enjoying the last month of school. Don’t forget to bring your energy and your school pride. June 11th is coming fast—get ready for a day you won’t forget!
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