“A PENNY, NICKEL, DIME DRIVE”
For A Terrible Hunger
Recently, our grade 8 class read a news article about the current famine
in Africa. In all, over 20 million people in Somalia, South Sudan, Yemen,
and Nigeria may soon die of starvation, including 1.4 million children.
The United Nations says it is the largest humanitarian crisis since 1945, the year the UN
was founded. This famine is caused by drought and human conflict.
In South Sudan, 100 000 people are already in a state of official famine – the first to be
declared anywhere in six years.
In Yemen, a child dies every 10 minutes and half a million children under five suffer
from severe acute malnutrition.
In Somalia, in the last two months alone, nearly 160 000 people have been displaced
due to severe drought, and the terrorist group al-Shabab has not yet let aid from
Western nations through.
In Nigeria, more than 120 000 people could suffer catastrophic famine-like conditions
that will likely worsen between June and August, when output from meager crops
dries up.
At a conference held in Norway in February, several key countries and groups pledged to
raise $672 million to deal with the crisis over the next three years. Canada announced
that it would contribute $119 million in aid. But by late March the UN had not even come
close to reaching its funding targets, and the group’s humanitarian chief urged the world
to step up.
We have decided to hold A PENNY, NICKEL, DIME DRIVE here at MMYS, to raise some
money to help with this crisis. If you have spare coins at home that you would like to donate, please send them to school with your child. We will roll them up, take them to the
Credit Union, and donate a cheque for the full amount to one of the global aid organizations that is involved.
Thanks for your support! This campaign will run until May 15th.
It is hard to believe the end of the year is two months
away but there is still plenty of sports action to take place.
The Mustangs Badminton team has been selected for Valley Championships on Thursday April 27th, 2017. The
team is as follows:
Boys Singles:
1. Joel Campbell
2. Leo Chartrand
Girls Singles :
1. Presley Sagert
2. Madi Sagert
Boys Doubles:
1. Joel Campbell & Leo Chartrand
2. Bryson Kovachik & Nick Baskier
Grade 7
Girls singles -
A side champ Madi
A side runner up Callie
B side champ Brooke
Boys singles A side runner up Kristen
B side champ Drayden
B side Runner up Nick
Girls doubles -A side champs madi and Callie
A side runner ups Brooke and Ella
Boys doubles - A side champs Nick and Kristen
A side runner ups Drayden and
Kyle
Mixed doubles - A side champs Madi and Kyle
A side runner ups Drayden and
Brooke.
B side champs - Nick and Ella
Girls Doubles:
1. Callie Immerkar & Madi Sagert
2. Presley Sagert & Bryn Zamzow
Mixed Double:
1. Callie Immerkar & Kristen Moshenko
2: Drayden Gott & Brooke Foster
We wish our Badminton team the best of luck at the Valley
Championships. Bring home the banner!
The students were very successful during the SVSD Badminton nights held in April. The results are as followed:
Grade 5
Girls singles- B side champ-Sammy Jo
A side runner up Cassidy
Girls Doubles- B side runner up Cassidy & Savanna
Boys Doubles- A side runner up Conrad & AJ
Mixed Doubles- A side runner up Conrad & Sammy
Jo
Grade 6
Girls singles -B side champ Neva
B side runner up Amara
Girls doubles -A side runner ups Neva and Erin
Boys double - A side runner ups Trae and Logan
B side champs - Nate and Ty
Mixed doubles -A side champs Neva and Trae
Grade 8
Girls singles - A side champ Presley
B side runner up Justyna
Boys singles - A side runner up Joel
Boys doubles - A side champs Leo and Bryson
B side champ Joel and Aidan
Girls doubles - B side champs Bryn and Presley
B side runner up Alexa and
Justyna
Mixed doubles A side champs Joel and Presley
B side champs - Bryson and
Brynn
Our next sporting event is Track and Field. The Sunburn classic will be held on Friday, May 12th, 2017 at
SVSD from 10am - 3pm. The Valley Track and Field
Championships will be Held June 12th, 2017 from
10am – 3pm. Practices are TBA.
We are proud of our students and the effort they put
into the Badminton program. We would encourage
all family members and friends to come out and support the athletes as they participate and compete in
these sports and activities throughout the school
year.
If you have any questions about this program,
please feel free to contact Mr. Woitowicz at MMYS.
Minitonas Minor Sports Baseball Registrations still being
accepted by Lee-Anne Campbell (238-4868) or email
[email protected] Coaches are needed as well.
Yes we now have a new phone system from Cisco! Much more
modern than this antique pictured here. We are looking forward to learning what all this system is capable of.
Upcoming Band Events at a Glance:

Springfest Jazz Band Festival – May 25-26
Year-End Band &
Choir Concert

MMYS Spring into Summer Band/Choir Concert – 7:00 pm, May 30, MMYS
Award winning ensembles to perform in Minitonas

SV Jazz Night (SVRSS) – 7:00 pm, June 8

Jazz Chocolates Fundraiser, due May 17: Jazz
band members, a reminder to get out to family
and friends to sell your chocolates!
Our final school concert is set for Tuesday, May 1,
7:00 p.m. at MMYS. This concert is open to the general public to attend with a voluntary silver collection.
Featured are our award winning ensembles: the Gr.
5 Recorder Ensemble, the Grade 6 and Grade 7-8
concert bands, the Jazzmanian Devils and the
MMYS School Choir. We are anticipating a great
show!
Swan Valley Band Festival Awards
Minitonas Ensembles Win Awards in Four Categories
The Swan Valley Band Festival took place at MMYS and
SVRSS in Swan River back in February, but we have just
been informed of our awards now. All of our bands performed
and received adjudication from Barbara Dowsett of Minnedosa, a very experienced and knowledgeable musician and
adjudicator. Award winners will receive their awards and perform at our MMYS Spring into Summer Band Concert. Everyone is invited to enjoy our successes!

Bryn Zamzow, Kristen Boychuk, Nick Baskier, and
Madeleine Lambert will receive the Junior Ensemble Trophy
for their “A+” performance of Killer Joe, and old jazz standard. Congratulations! They are performing at our concert.

Congratulations to our Grade 5 Recorder Ensemble will
receive the Outstanding Recorder Ensemble Trophy! Ms.
Dowsett awarded the Gr. 5s an “A” and loved the great performance of “Heathens” (by 21 Pilots) and our original song
written by our very own Savanna Bednarski and arranged
by the class. Congratulations! The Grade 5s will be performing at our concert.

For their “A+” performance, our Grade 6 Concert Band
will receive the Beginner Band Ensemble Trophy. Ms.
Dowsett appreciated their tight performance and tone production. Congratulations!

The Grade 7-8 Concert Band received an “A+” for
their performance and will receive the Junior Band Trophy.
Mr. Dowsett commented on excellent musical preparation
and cohesiveness. Congratulations!
Congratulations goes out to the many students who participated in various solos and ensembles – extra preparation and
courage are required to perform these. There were lots of “A”s
and “A+”s! We impressed Ms. Dowsett by our preparation,
focus, and great attitudes – she loved our school!
Students are reminded that this is the last concert for
self-assessment. Please wear concert dress (black/
black with black shoes). We will review other concert
protocol in class. This concert is a very important
final assessment measurement for our band students
– attendance is crucial.
The Jazzmanian Devils head
to Regina Springfest!
Once again, the Regina Springfest
Band Festival and Competition is on
our list of venues-to-play. The Jazzmanian Devils, our award-winning
jazz ensemble, is headed out to Regina on May 25-26 to perform and
compete, be adjudicated, and participate in a workshop and master class. Good luck!
Music Monday – May 1st
Music Monday is an annual initiative that brings
together thousands of students, musicians, parents and community members across the country to celebrate the gift of music in our lives, on
the same day at the same time. We are creating
an event that shows how music can shape our
lives, inspire creation, and how we can have
good honest fun in making music!
This year, MMYS is once again holding an Open
Mic in the Band Room at Noon Hour that day. According to the website, www.MusicMonday.com,
we are part of the over 6 million participants and
Speech Language Corner
May is Speech Language
& Hearing Month
May 1st, 2017 6:30 p.m.
Did You Know…?
A child’s vocabulary upon entering school is a prime
predictor of school success or failure.
Watching TV does not improve a child’s vocabulary or
communication skills; there is no substitute for conversation when it comes to learning to talk.
Early language abilities are directly related to later
reading abilities. To develop literacy skills, children
first need speech and language skills.
It is projected that the number of adults with lowliteracy skills in Canada will increase from 12.4 million in 2006 to 15 million by 2031.
Stuttering is not caused by parenting practices, a bad
scare or psychological trauma.
A shocking 70% of young offenders in the UK have
speech, language and communication needs that
are often undetected (refer to www.rcslt.org for the
full story).
Twenty teachers in an average school in Australia will
take time off work each year because of voice
problems — that’s 28% of all teachers in the country.
The opportunity to communicate is a basic human
right. Read more about the International Communication Project (ICP) at
www.communication2014.com.
Children with Apraxia have difficulty speaking because
their brains cannot plan and coordinate the movements needed for speech. Less than 1% percent of
children are diagnosed with Apraxia.
An Auditory Processing Disorder affects the way the
brain hears language. A child with APD does not
have a hearing loss nor is it related to the level of
intelligence. APD is like ADHD in which the child
has difficulty listening, reading, a short attention
span, language delay and difficulty following verbal
instructions.
ONE IN SIX Canadians has a speech, language or
hearing problem.
School Motto
Be here. Be nice. Work hard.
Check out summer camp websites . . . .
www.wlbcamp.ca
www.wellmanlakeuccamp.ca
Kids of Thunder Bike Club: for kids eight to sixteen,
Fridays 6-7pm. From late April (depending on the
weather) to the end of June. Cost $45—
[email protected] for more info or to
register.
Physical Arts Week: Aug.14-14 at SVRSS. X-Company
will once again be running the camp. Ages 3+ for a
combination of dance, martial arts, theatre and film,
circus and acro classes.. Call the Rec Office @ 204734-3447 for more info.
Kids Basketball Camp—Aug.21-21 for Grades 3-7. Run
by Swan Valley Basketball Assoc. More details coming soon.
Art Camp—looking for an instructor. Call the Rec
Office @ 204-734-3447 for more info.
Day Camps for kids born 6445-2011. 5 am—4 pm—
cost $40/week. Aug. 4-11 in Minitonas at Minitonas
Arena.
Kidsport Applications: New Deadlines—applications
now accepted on the 11th of every month. We believe no kid should be left on the sidelines, and all
should be given the opportunity to experience the
positive benefits of organized sports. KIdsport provides support to children to help remove financial
barriers preventing them from playing sports.
Any questions or comments or to register for any
program, contact Patti at 204-8734-3847 or check out
our website at www.swanvalleyrec.ca