Greetings from HGI
The school had a very productive 2017-2018 school year and we are happily preparing for 2018-2019. The registrations and orientation tours have occurred for families in our neighborhood (Whyte Ridge, Bridgwater Trails, Bridgwater Lakes and Bridgwater Center) and we will be excited to meet any families new to our community. We planned an introductory information session and a tour of our school for any newcomers on August 31, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. at the school. As always, please continue to check our website https://www.pembinatrails.ca/schools/henrygizatt/Pages/Default.aspx for updates, calendar, photos of events and other information (e.g. school supplies).
One of our most exciting news items is that HGI is now in partnership with “The Bee Project”. Two hives will be placed on the roof of HGI before the summer holiday. The Bee Project staff look after the hives, connect us with a video feed so we can watch the activity and provide us with the honey from “our hives” to sell to community members. HGI students have researched a great deal about honey bees and are concerned with the impact climate change and the declining bee population will have to sustainability. Although we initially thought our honey bees would be a bonus for the HGI gardens, we have learned that bees do not fly “down” quickly. They will fly from their hive on the roof and maintain altitude with a very slow descent. Which means the HGI bees will be collecting pollen further afield than the HGI gardens.
Over the past school year, our connection with the folks at Riverwood Square (seniors’ residence) has been enriched. Students from a number of grade levels participated in a number of different projects with their senior partners. Seniors attended our Remembrance Day service and a number of our concerts. Grade 9 students participated in a ceramic workshop with seniors. Everyone has had a great time building relationships and engaging in activities. This meaningful intergenerational opportunity will continue next year.
This year a large number of volunteers, from our community, participated in facilitating our reading programs. This strategy will continue into next year. If you or someone you know would like to join us in scheduled reading with students, please contact the school office at 204-489-1239 to let us know. There are also other ways to become meaningfully involved with the school – sharing information about your career, assisting on outings and supervising a sports team.
The HGI Community Gardens have wintered well. We are just waiting for the perennials to surface and to plant the vegetables for this year. If there are any community members interested in assisting with our garden project, please contact the school at 204-489-1239.
Over the summer there will be work happening in HGI in addition to the regular summer cleaning. The clocks and public address system will be upgraded.
With increasing diversity in our community and the learning that happens as we increasingly become global citizens, a focus of the school next year will be cultural celebration. It has been a few years since we have presented a “Culturama”. With a few differences, this focus will be highlighted through our monthly assemblies and other events.
HGI’s pillars remain Humanity, Growth, Innovation and Sustainability. We are fortunate to be situated in such a positive and supportive community.
