Student Semester End Memo - January 2025

Semester End Memo: 

Students and Families

January 2024

1. End of Semester Procedures:

1. Last Day of Classes for Semester One is Monday January 27^th, 2025

a. Wed. Jan 22^nd:  regular school day

b. Thurs. January 23^rd:  regular school day

c. Fri. Jan 24^th:  Supertutorial

1. Shortened day schedule (8:55 AM- 12:40 PM)
2. Students report to Homeroom for Supertutorial (12:45- 3:05 PM)
3. Lunch will be provided- Tina will send more information.
4. Regular Bus Special to Downtown Terminal for 3:10 PM

d. Mon. Jan 27^th: Supertutorial (as needed)

1. Shortened Day schedule (8:55- 12:40 PM)
2. Students report to Homeroom for Supertutorial (as needed, as requested by teacher). (12:45- 3:05 PM).
3. Lunch will be provided- Tina will send more information.
4. Shortened Day Bus Special to downtown terminal for 12:45 PM

e. Tues. Jan 28^th, 2025: No school for students

f. Wed. Jan 29^th, 2025: No school for students

g. Thurs. Jan 30^th, 2025: First Day of Semester Two, Q3, BLK5 classes. Regular school day.

2. End of Semester Information:

2. School reminders and information for new students

1. New staff to Bishop Murray:

Please welcome Cindy Okemwa to our Bishop Murray family. Cindy will be temporarily replacing our Office Coordinator, Angela Harder. Cindy will be with us from Jan 7^th, 2025 until Feb 3^rd, 2025. Welcome Cindy!

b. Semester Two Timetables:

Timetables will not be printed.  Check semester 2 timetables on Wednesday, January 29 for the most updated version.  Students can access their Semester 2 timetables through EDSBY or My School Sask.  

In EDSBY, on the right-hand side under alerts, students can  scroll to February 1 to see their classes for semester 2. The My School Sask tile can be found on the GSCS portal  on your student account.  In My School Sask, click on  “My Info” and choose “Schedule”.

c. Unsuccessful in a class:

If you are unsuccessful in a class, the office will reschedule you, if possible.  The school will connect with the student during the first few days of Semester Two regarding required changes. Your teacher will connect with the student, parents/guardians regarding the unsuccessful completion of the class.

d. Semester One Report Cards in EDSBY:

Report Cards for the first semester will be made available to parents on Thursday, January 30^th @ 4PM in EDSBY.  See the infographic at the end of the document for a reminder on how to view report cards in EDSBY. 

e. Cell Phone Policy reminders:

Please see the Personal Electronic Device Policy- one page document at the end of this memo, for more information.

f. Attendance reminders: 

Please notify the school prior to the start of classes if your child is going to be absent that day. You have two convenient ways to report absences, and you can report planned absences in advance:  

1. Use EDSBY to indicate that your child will be absent. If you do not have an EDSBY account, please call the school and let our office know. We can re-send an invitation to your email that we have on file to assist with set up. It is very important to set up an EDSBY account as this is where you will report absences, view marks and report cards, see upcoming exams or assignment dates and communicate with your child’s teachers. 
2. For attendance reporting and/or attendance information call 306-659-7710 to speak with Ms. Okemwa (temporary replacement for Mrs. Harder). Message Manager is available twenty-four hours a day and will record your attendance information, if the phone line is busy.       

g. School Washrooms:

The bathrooms at Bishop Murray High School have become an area of concern. These spaces are becoming overcrowded with students gathering for socializing purposes.   Students are using these spaces to gather during breaks and class transition points through out the day.   While we understand the importance of socializing, we are encouraging this in our cafeteria space. We kindly request students to refrain from using the bathroom spaces as a gathering or meeting point. Bathrooms are essential facilities meant for personal use, and large groups of students gathering are making it uncomfortable for others to use the facilities as they are intended. We have staff present in our hallways and cafeteria for supervision and are checking in on bathrooms regularly to ensure no large gatherings are taking place. We are noticing an increase in student’s vaping in our bathrooms and want to inform all families that vaping on school property is strictly prohibited and could result in a $500 ticket. We have been discussing this with our students and staff regularly and we kindly ask for your support at home in having a similar conversation. We do not want to close our bathrooms but if this gathering does not cease, we will be forced the close the bathrooms by the cafeteria, leaving the hallway and single stall bathrooms available for personal use. We appreciate your support.

h. Tutorial Expectations:

Tutorials are required for all gr 9-12 students, everyday, except on our shortened day Thursdays.  Tutorials are not optional, and we ask for your support in ensuring your child attends regularly. Tutorials provide a place to work on homework, receive extra support in classes requiring extra work, as well, provides an opportunity for students to earn back attendance as part of an academic support plan established with their teacher and administration.  After two weeks of instruction at the beginning of a new quarter or block, for students in grades 10-12 who have maintained or exceeded 80% attendance in all their classes, is all caught up in required course work and has met the expectations in all classes, this student may be exempt by the teacher from attending Tutorial. If your child has been exempt from Tutorial, the Homeroom teacher will provide you with a form to sign and return, indicating that you are aware that your child is not required to attend. If, at any time, the student falls below the expectations to be exempt, the student will then be informed that Tutorial will be required.