A reminder about this great opportunity for high-school-age creative writers!

École Margaret-Underhill kicked off I Love to Read (or J’aime Lire) Month with the talented Don Amero! This year, the school’s theme for I Love to Read is Indigenous storytelling, and Mr. Amero told stories to the students through his songs. Fun fact: he is not only an award-winning local singer/songwriter, but also the parent of a student at École Margaret-Underhill.

Well done, Canadiens!

If you have a child who is about to start kindergarten this fall, don't miss out on our Preschool Growing & Learning Days taking place in April and May! And remember, kindergarten registration begins March 4, 2019.

Wow! Way to go, team! 🏒 🙌

**UPDATE 4:06 p.m. Jan. 21** Please see attached letters from Arthur Day and John W. Gunn middle schools. **UPDATE 6 p.m. Jan. 20** Please see attached letters from Arthur Day and John W. Gunn middle schools. **UPDATE 4:36 p.m. Jan. 18** Please see attached letters from both Arthur Day and John W. Gunn middle schools. **UPDATE 9:52 a.m. Jan. 18** Both schools will be keeping students in at lunch and providing lunch to those who did not bring one.** **UPDATE 9:04 a.m. Jan. 18** Please see attached letter from John W. Gunn Middle School.** **UPDATE 8 a.m. Jan. 18** Please see attached letter from Arthur Day Middle School.** We have been made aware of new threats involving Arthur Day Middle School and John W. Gunn Middle School. These threats were made on social media and we are currently working with the Winnipeg Police Service. Classes will continue tomorrow unless the police advise us otherwise. We will update as information becomes available.

Teachers from a number of RETSD schools are at Miles Macdonell Collegiate today (Mark Bruce is the school principal) to take part in a daylong workshop on inquiry-based learning. It's being led by educator and author Trevor MacKenzie. Our teachers are always learning! #lifelonglearning

The Miles Macdonell Collegiate Angling Club took part in the fifth annual KidFish derby in Selkirk on January 6, and they presented a donation of $1000 that Miles Mac students raised at their Fishing for a Cure derby last June. The donation will go to the Children's Hospital Foundation and CancerCare Manitoba for kids and families affected by cancer.❤️

Kennay—Miles Macdonell Collegiate's cutest student—would like you to know about a project underway at his school. Teacher Anita Mathu's Grade 9 class is collecting new pairs of socks to donate to Siloam Mission. So far, they've collected 500 pairs! With YOUR help, they're hoping to gather even more. Donations of socks can be left at the Miles Mac office (757 Roch St.) until January 31. Sock it to 'em! 🧦

**A revised map is now available at the link below.** The RETSD board of trustees has completed a review of middle years French immersion enrolment and related catchment areas west of Lagimodiere. The review was identified as a priority in the 2017–18 school year due to increasing demand for French immersion programming in RETSD and the impact it is having at John Henderson Junior High School—which is at capacity. For more information, visit: https://tinyurl.com/y88zcogb

Tomorrow, January 16, all RETSD students will be dismissed 45 minutes early.

**UPDATE at 9:58 a.m., Jan. 16** Please see attached letter from Arthur Day. **UPDATE at 4:18 p.m., Jan. 15** Please see attached letter from Arthur Day. **UPDATE at 11:02 a.m., Jan. 15** Please see attached letter from Arthur Day. **UPDATE at 3:49 p.m.** Please see attached letter from Arthur Day. **UPDATE at 2:15 p.m.: The hold-and-secure will be lifted at 3:10 p.m., and students will be dismissed as usual.** We are co-operating fully with the Winnipeg Police Service as they investigate an alleged threat involving Arthur Day Middle School. Police are at and supporting the school, which is currently in a hold-and-secure (all exterior doors are locked). Parents have been contacted and are welcome to pick up their children; however, classes are continuing as usual. We’ll provide updates as more information becomes available.

Wow, looking good, River East Collegiate! The school has undergone a bit of a makeover. Check out the before and after photos. It's far more accessible, and it looks spiffy, too! Thanks so much to the students and staff for their patience during this transformation.

Yesterday, John W. Gunn Middle School held a schoolwide assembly to allow students to gain a better understanding of the significance of the drum to the Indigenous community. They also got to see an Indigenous drum group perform. #treaty1land #wearealltreatypeople

A group of 17 newcomer students from Kildonan-East Collegiate will get to see their dual-language picture books published thanks to their teacher Vanessa Romans. The Grade 9–12 students are all studying English as an additional language (EAL). They completed a unit on short stories in their first semester this year and are now in the process of writing their own short stories based on the theme of “Home.” They are working in their mother tongue and English to create a picture book where both languages are recognized. They not only are the authors, but are the artists as well. Languages in their picture books include Arabic, Punjabi, Tigrinya, Ukrainian, Hebrew, Russian, and Tagalog. The theme of “Home” brought to light memories of love, loss, self-discovery, and dreams. If anyone would like a PDF copy of the books when they are completed or would like to purchase a hard copy, contact Vanessa Romans at Kildonan-East Collegiate, 204-667-2960. Proceeds will be donated to one of KEC’s charitable causes.

Our middle and senior years parent information evenings are coming up in February—here's the where and when. **Please share this post if you know someone in RETSD with a child about to enter middle or senior years.**

Register now for a FREE Kinder Links preschool program this winter! There are still spaces available in the following parent-child programs (click the here for registration info: https://tinyurl.com/y899rng5) MONDAYS—DAYTIME Once Upon a Rhyme @ Wayoata (page 6) Hey Diddle Diddle @ Radisson (page 6) TUESDAYS—DAYTIME Mr. Golden Sun @ Princess Margaret (page 7) Purple Stew @ Westview (page 9) WEDNESDAYS—DAYTIME Gift of Words @ Prince Edward (page 5) Let It Snow! @ Polson (page 6) Shake, Rattle & Rhyme @ Emerson (page 6) Jack Be Nimble @ River East Personal Care Home (page 7) Animal Crackers @ Joseph Teres (page 8) THURSDAYS—DAYTIME Once Upon a Rhyme @ Emerson (page 6) Once Upon a Rhyme @ John de Graff (page 6) Guess Who Helps You @ John de Graff (page 7) Animal Crackers @ Bertrun E. Glavin (page 8) FRIDAYS—DAYTIME Hey Diddle Diddle @ Polson (page 6) Stars & Spaceships @ Salisbury Morse Place (page 8) 1, 2, Buckle My Shoe @ Donwood (page 8) Purple Stew @ Emerson (page 9) EVENING/WEEKENDS Night Owls @ Joseph Teres (page 5) Weekend Wee Play @ Joseph Teres (page 6) Jack Be Nimble @ Joseph Teres (page 7) 1, 2, Buckle My Shoe @ Emerson (page 8)

We've had a pretty balmy winter so far, but it may not last all season. Here are some guidelines to prepare you for those cold snaps.❄️

All of our school buses are running today.🚍

River East Collegiate grads Gerrit Delaquis, Kelsey Halldorson, Kyle Halldorson, and Cory Olivier.

We know... it's tough to drag yourselves out of bed when you see the trick Mother Nature played on us for the first day back. Nevertheless... WELCOME BACK!