McGillivray Central PS - Principal Notes

As September comes to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on the beautiful start we've had to the school year. The warm fall days have been perfect for outdoor learning, recess, physical education, and sports. Inside the building, we’ve seen a remarkable shift. Students are settling into routines, showing a strong sense of belonging and engaging in their learning.

We’re thrilled to celebrate our soccer team’s outstanding performance this September, with wins of 6–0 over East Williams, 5–0 against Aldborough, 6–0 over Mosa, and a tournament victory for McGillivray! Congratulations to the students for their teamwork and determination, and a heartfelt thank you to Coach Campbell and Coach Wirbelauer for their leadership.

Basketball practices are now underway, and our Cross Country runners are preparing for Regionals in early October. All students participated in walking/running in honour of Terry Fox and loved ones affected by cancer. We’re proud to share that our small but mighty school raised over $700 for the Terry Fox Foundation. What a powerful example of compassion and community spirit, not to mention the fun of sliming your teachers, secretary and Principal!

It was lovely to see so many of you at our Meet the Staff/Families evening last Thursday. Thank you for coming to share in some delicious food, connect with other families, meet new faces, and visit classrooms and teachers. A special thank you to our Grade 8 parents for providing the supper choices and snacks as part of their fundraiser—it was greatly appreciated and enjoyed by all!

Kicking off the year in retro style—our first Spirit Day was totally 80s!

Mr. Campbell and Ms. Wirbelauer were away cheering on our soccer team at the tournament—what a great reason to miss the photo!

September

Making Our Mark—Together

The first 10 days of school have gone by quickly, and I just want to share how proud and grateful I am—for your children, for our staff, and for the joyful energy that fills our school each day. It’s been such a calm, connected, and positive beginning. Students are already engaged in learning and building friendships across our split-grade classrooms (K1/K2, 1/2, 2/3, 4/5, 5/6, 7/8), and there’s a real sense of community here.

In just 2 short weeks, so much has already happened! We held our Welcome Assembly (with a big cheer for the Class of 2026!), launched Colour Houses, and kicked off Mustangs Weekly Celebrations. Sports are underway—soccer and cross-country are in motion, and basketball signups are posted. We’ve practiced two fire drills (with our third coming this week) so everyone feels confident about what to do in an emergency. In connection to our Safe and Inclusive School Plan, we’re also helping students learn how to pause, listen, and talk things out— encouraging behaviours that make situations better and consistently noticing and naming the good.

Today some students joined in International Dot Day, inspired by Peter H. Reynolds’ book The Dot. This book is a wonderful celebration of creativity, courage, and the power of making your mark. At 8:45 this morning, a kindergarten student proudly showed me the dots on their shirt, and another pointed out their dotted socks. This moment was a joyful reminder of how books can spark conversation, imagination, and motivation.

Can you tell I just love school? Even after many years in education, I still feel the gift of being a Principal every single day. I’m honoured to serve alongside our staff and families in this incredible community. Thank you for helping us start 2025/2026 with such joy and momentum. We can't wait to see what is ahead. Well, we do know a couple of things: our Terry Fox Run is next Friday with an 80s theme and I've heard rumours that someone (or maybe a few people) might get slimed. Plus, don't forget Home and School's Wing Night is this Wednesday, September 17th, at Ailsa Craig Community Centre.

2025/2026 NEW SCHOOL YEAR 2025/2026 NEW SCHOOL YEAR 2025/2026 NEW SCHOOL YEAR 2025/2026 NEW SCHOOL YEAR 2025/2026 NEW SCHOOL YEAR

June 16th - 20th

On Monday, the Grade 5 class set out for a full day learning opportunity at Westminster Ponds. Students learned about the elements of art in nature and explored nature photography using macros lens. Macros lens are super cool and we hope to purchase some for McGillivray students to use to explore the beauty of nature around us.

June 2nd - June 13th

McGillivray has been buzzing with activity and achievement, from the bee garden to the field. On the athletic front, the softball team became champions with a 6-1 victory over Parkhill!

Our Grade 8 students had a fantastic experience at Camp Kintail, with 9 Square quickly becoming a favourite activity. We are looking to purchase 9 Square next year through fundraising! Meanwhile, our primary division had a memorable end-of-year field trip to African Lion Safari, where students were thrilled to see giraffes and enjoy some time with friends at the splash pad.

Students in Grades 3 and 6 successfully completed their EQAO testing—thank you to everyone who helped create a quiet and focused learning environment.

Look forward to seeing everyone at the School Picnic on Thursday, June 26th!

May 26th - May 30th

Happy PA Day! I hope you are enjoying a wonderful day. This week has flown by as many of the students have been hard at work, with a strong focus on learning and preparing for EQAO testing, which began on May 29th. Walking through classrooms, you can really feel the energy and commitment from both students and staff. There’s still a lot of grade level curriculum to cover, and teachers are making the most of every lesson as we head into June and wrap up the school year with report cards. Thank you for your continued support (e.g., homework, projects, extra-curriculars, skill builders) —it truly makes a difference in your child’s learning experience! Shout out to the Lexia Reading Superstars who received a certificate this week.

May 19th - May 23rd

What a fantastic week we've had!

A big shout-out to our amazing Home and School team for barbecuing hot dogs for everyone on Track and Field Day!

Huge congratulations to all the students who participated in the events and gave it their all. We saw some impressive results and personal bests, and there's already lots of excitement in the air as students look ahead to Regionals at SDCI next week. Best of luck to everyone competing!

Get ready McGillivray! The Lip Sync Battles are back. Sign up outside Ms. Kelder's class for an audition time. The battle will be held mid June.

May 5th - May 9th

What a fantastic week! This week, we were thrilled to welcome our Junior Mustangs in Training—next year’s Kindergarten students—for a special Open House. While many are younger siblings of current students, we were excited to meet some brand-new faces among the 15 incoming JKs!

We’re also enjoying the buzz of our Book Fair, bringing our students fresh stories and reading excitement. Meanwhile, Track and Field practices are in full swing for Grades 4–8, and our students continue to engage in meaningful learning as we work hard to meet all curriculum expectations.

Soccer is AWESOME and we love the energy it brings to our yard! With so many students joining in, here are a few important reminders to review with your child(ren) at home:

Soccer at School – Play the Mustang Way! ⚽

The #1 Skill is Attitude.
The #2nd Skill is your Voice - your voice is for direction of where you are located and for encouragement.
Number 3 - Recess is not about me, it's about WE.

Recess is not recognized as a school team. Everyone gets to play, learn skills, and have fun.

Slide tackles? Not here. You can save those for your future competitive league play.

April 28th - May 2nd

2025

75 of our students headed to the Dance Festival, where they wowed the crowd with country western routines full of super cool footwork and teamwork. Back at school, we streamed the performances so that we could join in and cheer on our talented dancers. As April came to a close, we kept the momentum going, focusing on learning and growth, celebrating student achievement at our Colour House Assembly on Friday. And yes—our dancers took the stage one last time, bringing that country charm and school spirit for all to see!

April

22 - 25th

2025

🌍 🌞

This week was packed with energy, sunshine, and community spirit! As part of EARTH Week, several classes rolled up their sleeves to help clean up the school grounds — what a great way to show care for our environment!

Students from Kindergarten to Grade 6/7 participated in dairy presentations in the library, learning about dairy farming, nutrition, careers, processing, and technology. We were also thrilled to welcome back Ms. Wells for the week. Ms. Wells is a student teacher who teamed up with Ms. Kelders this year. She truly enjoyed reconnecting with the students—just as much as they loved having her back! These kinds of teacher-student relationships are at the heart of learning and belonging.

On Wednesday evening, we held a Grade 8 family meeting to provide an update on fundraising efforts, Camp Kintail, and plans for Graduation—Hollywood style. If you are a parent in Grade 8 and did not receive a link to the slideshow with the next steps, please connect with Mr. Campbell for more details.

The beautiful hot weather on Thursday was welcomed! Classes headed outdoors for learning, and the school was filled with energy and joy — the sunshine truly makes a difference!

Today wrapped up with Western Spirit Day—it's always wonderful to see students and staff getting involved in Spirit Days, building connections (in denim and boots) with the school community.

As we head into May, we are supporting every student’s progress. We care deeply about each child’s growth and are committed to helping them build the skills they need for lifelong learning.

April 7th - 10th

April 14th - 17th

2025

What a fantastic stretch of two four-day weeks! We are incredibly proud of our students representing McGillivray at badminton, and we’d like to give a special shoutout to the two teams who competed at Regionals at Glencoe High School. We wish we could have sent even more teams, as all of our duos demonstrated skill, teamwork, and determination!

We’re also thrilled that Mr. Kennes attended a High Jump training session, which means McGillivray will now be able to take part in High Jump for this year’s Track & Field events. Our school’s Track & Field day will take place on May 13th for students in Grades 4-8, with our Regional Meet in Strathroy happening on May 22nd.

Exciting news for our book lovers—our library has some new additions! Students can spot them easily by looking for books with blue sparkly happy-face stickers. These are from our last book fair, and there’s even more to look forward to with our second and final book fair of the year, starting on May 8th!

Forest of Reading is happening right now! Students are reading and voting for their favorite books, all written by Canadian authors, illustrators, and publishers. This program is open to all students—even if their class isn’t officially participating. If you would like to learn more, you can check it out here: https://forestofreading.com/

Thank you for being a part of our vibrant McGillivray community—we appreciate you! Wishing all families a joyful weekend, and a very Happy Easter!

March 31st - April 4th

2025

Some weeks fly by—and this was one of them! And it wasn’t even a short week. Maybe it felt quick because we were deeply engaged in learning, celebrating students’ successes at our Colour House assembly, and supporting one another wherever needed.

Or maybe it’s because the weather kept us all on our toes—spring on Monday, winter on Tuesday, and a full-on rainstorm by Wednesday! While Mother Nature couldn’t quite decide, we kept the balance inside the school, staying focused and connected.

Looking ahead, we’re excited about the upcoming Dance Festival—there’s some groove in our building! So, let’s dance our way into the weekend after a whirlwind week of weather, productivity and colour house community spirit.

March 24-28, 2025

This week students and staff wrapped up their learning in movie character style! On this fun day, we were pleased to welcome Superintendent Kevin Auckland, along with Trustees Arlene Morrell and Christian Sachs, to McGillivray. It was a wonderful opportunity to showcase the vibrant learning environment and strong sense of community. We also had the pleasure of sharing the voices of our students as they answered the question, "What makes McGillivray a great school?" In addition, Grade 7 students received their vaccines, students participated in a high-winds drill, and a small group of curious minds began exploring coding and design using Tinkercad.

Mar. 17-21, 2025

Weather

or not

SPRING is HERE!

This week, we were thrilled to welcome students back and see their festive St. Patrick's Day spirit, with everything from green clothing and pot-of-gold hats to shamrock sunglasses!

Congratulations to Lively and Izzy who participated in the Parkhill Optimist Oratorical Contest on Monday night at the Leisure Club in Parkhill. Their speeches on how optimism has guided them through hard times were exceptional! I enjoyed attending the evening and was happy to be present when Izzy Bloeman's named was called as the First Place Club Level Winner. Izzy received a Medallion and will move onto the District Regional Level Contest in April. Many thanks to Krysti, from McGillivray Home and School who initiated the contact with the Legion to provide this opportunity for the Junior/Intermediate students at McGillivray.

On Tuesday, we had the pleasure of hosting a Water Resource Coordinator from Ausable Bayfield Conservation. The coordinator shared valuable lessons on staying safe around rivers and lakes, especially during high flow and high wind events. Ms. Keall and Ms. Kelder's students enthusiastically tackled hands-on challenges at interactive stations, learning how to advise watershed residents when water levels rise. It was a fantastic week of fun and learning!

Grade 3 students from Ms. Rose's class selected the messages for our outdoor sign this week. Six students did a fantastic job of selecting and placing the letters on the sign, making sure everything was just right.

Learning is evident throughout the building. Students are busily reading independently and is small groups. Math questions are being solved with strategies for success. Art creations are bursts of color and creativity to the hallways. And, student news reprots are in motion - one was even filmed right here in the office!

With the snow melting, we know recess fun can lead to extra laundry—sorry for the mess! We appreciate your patience as the ground thaws, puddles form, and the grass starts to appear. As a new principal of this school, I feel like I’m unwrapping a long-awaited surprise—eager to see what’s been hiding under all that snow! I’m excited to experience the recess yard in a whole new way—just like our busy students.

Enjoy the March Break, amazing families! Stay safe and healthy—we can't wait to see those smiling faces back on Monday, March 17th. Lots of community time in classrooms ahead to share and reconnect! 😊

Breaking News Thames Valley Finals

Feb. 28th, 2025

Congratulations to our volleyball teams for their outstanding performance at the Thames Valley Finals. Both teams represented McGillivray PS with heart and excellence!

The boys' team earned a fantastic 3rd place overall at Banting HS, bringing home well-deserved Bronze Medals!

The girls' team finished an impressive 4th place at Oakridge HS.

This is truly a McGillivray Hall of Sports fame moment for 2025! 3rd and 4th place out of 132 elementary schools.

A big thank you to our dedicated coaches, whose hard work and support were instrumental in this achievement. What an incredible honor for our students, parents, coaches, and the entire school community, who cheered these exceptional student-athletes every bump, set, spike of the way.

Feb. 24-28, 2025

It's wonderful to see all the learning happening across grades.

This week, I've observed students in Kindergarten exploring subitizing. Subitizing is recognizing small sets of objects and instantly knowing how many there are without counting, like when rolling a dice. This is an essential skill in number sense development.

In the primary grades, McGillivray students are engaged in daily phonological and phonemic awareness lessons. Additionally, the students are working in small groups with their teacher to accelerate their literacy gains.

Students in Grade 5 have been exploring angles and their relationships to building and design. We have many mini golf courses where students put their learning into practice, aiming for a hole in one on their very own par 3 or par 5 cardboard courses. It's hands-on learning at its best!

All of our junior and intermediate students have been writing about optimism and resilience as part of the Parking Optimist Oratorical Contest, which McGillivray has been invited to participate in. We are excited to select 2 to 4 students to take part in the speech contest, where they will answer the question: How has optimism guided you through hard times? I have read some of the student responses this week, and I am amazed by the wisdom and insight reflected in their writing.

Feb. 18 - 21 2025

Congratulations to Our Division A Regional Champions!

We are thrilled to celebrate both the Girls' and Boys' Volleyball teams' wins in the Division A Regional Tournament! Thank you to Coach Campbell, Coach Wirbelaur, and Coach Kennes for their leadership and parents for driving students to away games and cheering on their skill development. Let’s keep the momentum going as we cheer on the McGillivray Mustangs at the Thames Valley Finals next Friday, February 28th! Go team! 🏐

Feb. 10-14, 2025

A little kindness warms the coldest days

McGillivray students are busy racking up points for their colour houses, knowing that a pizza party awaits the house with the most points at the end of February! This school-wide initiative fosters care, collaboration, communication, relationships, friendships, independent work, and all the qualities that celebrate student growth and success. We are so proud of our students and how we are working together this winter to be our best—for ourselves and one another.

On Wednesday of this week, every student took time to write independently about what makes McGillivray a great school, what could be improved, and what should not be changed (recess!). I loved reading their thoughts and will be sharing the common ideas and voices that echoed throughout the school. Most importantly, we want students to know that we care about their reflections, and their voices matter.

Today, on Valentine's Day, the love of community was felt throughout the school as students enjoyed some treats and exchanged valentines with one another. A heartfelt thank you to Home and School for honouring staff with delicious Thai food this week—we truly appreciate the recognition and support for the staff who dedicate each day to our students. Wishing you a wonderful Family Day weekend.

Feb. 3-7, 2025

Some Groundhogs Say Winter, Others Say Spring...

Either Way, Our Students Love Recess!

Have you heard of The Dictionary Story? While many of us are familiar with a dictionary, some of our students were experiencing one for the first time. Now, they are not only familiar with it—they’re excited about it! Some have even picked it up first to test their muscles and then to explore new words, growing their vocabularies along the way.

The Dictionary Story is a playful picture book sent to every school for Global Read Aloud Day, which we celebrated this past Wednesday. I had the joy of visiting classrooms to share in the experience, sparking conversations about the power of words and the importance of building strong vocabularies. Next week, students will be invited to illustrate words from the dictionary, much like the book's own delightful illustrations, where words swirled together in a creative word tornado!

Additionally, our school received a copy of Nii Ndahlohke: Boys' and Girls' Work at Mount Elgin Industrial School 1890-1915 by Mary Jane Logan McCallum. This resource helps deepen students’ understanding of the Mount Elgin Residential School experience and its connection to the history and ongoing impacts of Residential Schools in Canada.

Literacy takes many forms, and it has been wonderful to see our students engaged in discovering new words, ideas, and histories this week.

Jan. 27-31 2025

Goodbye January

Hello February

As we wrap up the last week of January, students are enjoying a special learning day in their pyjamas! This week, you would hear students learning to play the guitar in music class, classes practising the verb faire in French, Grade 6/7 students building bridges and exploring the properties of air in science, and all classes building their math strategies (e.g., 2-digit re-grouping, number lines, fractions as decimals).

A big congratulations to our Girls' Volleyball team for winning the tournament at Mary Wright! It was fantastic to see their hard work in practice pay off on the court.

Did you know that McGillivray has Colour Houses? Students earn Marvelous Mustang tickets by contributing positively to their classrooms, with peers, or to the school. Each ticket earns a point for their Colour House team—Red, Blue, Yellow, or Green. Currently, the Red team is in the lead, and should they maintain their position until our next celebration on Friday, February 14, they’ll earn a special reward! Our monthly Colour House assembly is next week, and we’re excited to celebrate all the amazing learning and teamwork happening at McGillivray. Go Mustangs!

January 20-24 2025

Brrrr... What a Cold Snap! While it's been freezing outside, things were anything but cold inside McGillivray. We couldn’t help but laugh about the variety of temperatures in different rooms—one class dreaming of palm trees and sandy beaches, while another seemed ready for some ice fishing! Thankfully, Ms. Arenthals and the facilities team worked hard to get the heating system back in sync by the end of the week.

Throughout the building, students decomposed numbers, wrote non-fiction booklets about animals, and listened to daily chapters from a recent Alan Gratz novel. On top of all that, we had a fantastic week, enjoying many home volleyball games.

Please note that our wonderful Admin Secretary, Ms. Maquire, will be away for a few weeks. Ms. Shephard will be in the office from Mon - Thurs. Ms. Bliss will be with us on Fridays.

January 13-17, 2025

Friday - PD Day

Ms. Glousher's Grade 1/2 celebrated their class efforts towards reaching 50 stars this week

This week was full of connection and energy! I enjoyed meeting with staff after school and engaging in meaningful conversations. A highlight was cheering on the girls' volleyball team during an exciting home game filled with great rallies back and forth. I’ve especially loved spending time with students at recess—whether it’s assisting with building forts, walking hand in hand, or playing soccer. I’m also grateful for the midday treats from “sweetly” shared birthday celebrations—such thoughtful moments of joy!

The personal challenge I set to learn every student’s first name by Family Day continues. While I’m making noteworthy progress, recalling names is still a work in progress. A common (and endearing) question I’ve heard this week is, “Mrs. Koop, what’s my name?” As I work on learning every student’s name, I’d love your help getting to know your child better! Feel free to email me a story or two—something they love at McGillivray, a proud moment, or even a funny memory. Sometimes, a little extra connection helps me solidify those names and faces even more! ~ Mrs. Koop m.koop@tvdsb.ca

Mail Kinder

The Kindergarten class received mail after bringing their Monster Truck colouring pages to the office. "Kindergarten, you've got mail". Ms. McGuire and I welcome and appreciate students visiting the office to share their daily skills, learning and discoveries.

January 6-10, 2025

Welcome to 2025, to you, to me! I am thrilled to be joining the McGillivray community as your Principal. The students at McGillivray are curious, friendly, and deeply appreciative of their teachers and the place where they learn. I enjoyed meeting Home and School Association members this week and learning about the upcoming fundraisers to support the students and upgrades to the playground. Good things happen where the community is strong, and I already feel that strength here. Thank you for the warm welcome and I look forward to working with my hands and heart to serve and grow alongside you all. ~ Mrs. Koop

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