Rockway student breaks javelin record

Yesterday, Jordan Fayez (grade 9) set a new District 8 Midget Boy's Javelin record.

His throw of 37.72m blew away the previous record of 33.49m!

Congratulations Jordan, and good luck at the regional finals!

Junior High Soccer

On Monday, the gr. 6-8s participated in a soccer tournament with local schools.

Each team is a mix of grades and genders. The day is designed to be a ton of fun and not focused on the results. The Flames had a great day with some fine soccer and a few goals to boot!

Here is a video of some play throughout the day.

Thanks to Janet Bauman and Art Klassen for their coaching efforts.

Celebwrite!

On Tuesday, Rockway held it's annual celebration of the written word with Celebwrite!

To kick things off, we were privileged to have local writers, Erin Noteboom Bow and James Bow, join us as guest speakers. They read excerpts from their novels and poetry and gave our students a taste of their different styles.

You can read James' impressions of the morning entitled "Thank you Rockway!" by clicking on the title.

A member of the Creative Writing class, Brittany Wind, took some time to interview the couple in front of the student body on their writing, inspiration, and path to writing.

Following the interview, the student body split up into four groups and participated in student readings from all grades.

Who knows, someday we may see some of our current students with their own books on the bookstore shelves!

Service Award for Rockway Student

On Wednesday evening, Heather Imrie (gr.9) was recognized by the City of Kitchener for outstanding contributions to our community.

Heather was awarded the Service & Caregiving Award as part of the Kitchener Youth Action Council awards evening. She was the youngest nominee as most of the other nominees were 18+. Her generous and humble contributions to multiple service organizations is truly inspirational.

Congratulations Heather!

Sunil Kuruvilla visits Writer's Craft

Last week author/playwright Sunil Kuruvilla visited the Gr. 12 Writer's Craft class.

Mr. Kuruvilla's award-winning play "Rice Boy" is being presented as part of this year's Stratford Festival season. Click here for more details.

It was inspirational for our budding writers to listen and learn from a talented writer living in our community.

Grandparents Visit

On Thursday, gr. 6-8 students invited their grandparents to Rockway.

They were met by principal Terry Schellenberg, attended a special chapel service featuring student faith histories and our Sr. Choir, and then were hosted by the gr.7s for tea.

This video gives a brief glimpse into the visit by our important supporters.

Rockway Track: Big Race Coming!

Connor Outhit, a gr. 11 student, was featured in today's Waterloo Region Record.

Connor is a middle distance runner (800m and 1500m) and has been competing at a provincial and national level for the past few years. His dedication to the sport is inspiring! Two years ago, he was part of the first Rockway Jr. Boys Cross-country team to win District 8 and compete at OFSAA.

The regional Sr. Boys 800 m race is going to be hotly contested and Connor is one of the favorites. We're all cheering for you Connor!

Click on the picture to read the article.

Mark your calendars!

Awesome Rockway events are happening over the next three weekends!

We start this Friday, May 1 with the amazing Youth Earth Summit (YES). Tons of speakers, food, music, and merchandise supporting our earth!

Click on the poster or go to the website for more details.

Then join us next weekend, May 8-9, for Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest presented by our Grade 11-12.

It's a very funny show and you won't be disappointed!

Click on the poster or go to the website for more details.

And finally come back on May 14 for an incredible evening of music in support of the Mennonite Coalition for Refugee Support.

Rockway student and alumni bands are putting together a great show. Sure to get you rocking!

Click on the poster for details.

Rockway Soccer: Game 2!

Rockway's Tori Barratt runs over St. David goalie.

The Flames continued the league season with games yesterday against St. David Catholic Secondary School.

The boys team suffered their second loss, falling to the Celtics 4-0.

The girls showed that they are contenders for the title this year by beating their opponents 2-0. Good pressure throughout the game led to great goals by Iman Sabrie and Steph Fast. The defense showed their grit and gave the Celtics few good chances until late in the game. The Record ran a story today that summarizes the league and puts our girls in the hunt!

Our Flames are up against PRDG on Wednesday where we hope that we can get our boys into the win column and continue strong play from the girls. Go Flames!

Author Debra Ellis visits Rockway

Our grade 6-8s were privileged to hear Debra Ellis (author of 20 books including The Heaven Shop and the Governor General's Award-winning Looking for X), as she paid a visit on Friday. She spoke to the whole group and then held a workshop for our budding authors

She spoke, read, and answered questions about her books and gave our students a chance to hear about the places they are set. Ms. Ellis has traveled to the Middle East, Africa, and Central America to give voice to the children in these places by writing stories inspired by the struggles they face.

Each year, the grade 8s read the book The Heaven Shop, which gives a face to the orphans of AIDS in Africa. To hear Ms. Ellis talk about the children she met before writing the book was inspiring!

glimpse... Student Art Exhibition 2009

Rockway artistic talent was on display last Thursday in glimpse..., Rockway's annual art exhibition.

Grade 9-12 students were featured in a variety of mediums: painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, collage, mixed media. There is a ton of technical and creative talent among ourstudents and the exhibition was a feast for the eyes!

The evening also featured a Fair Trade Cafe put on by the Social Concerns Committee and musical performances by students.

Thanks to the Visual Arts Committee and art teachers Helmi Wiebe and Karen Scott-Booth who put in hours of work and made the evening amazing!

Soccer Teams Kick-off the Season

The Flames were on the soccer field Wednesday in their opening games against St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School.

The weather was a nasty mix of 5^oC, wind, and drizzle and all the teams struggled with keeping warm, especially on the bench.

The boys team fought hard but succumbed to a strong opponent 2-0. The girls struggled as a team but escaped with a 1-1 tie.

You can follow the league at http://cwossadistrict8.com/ and keep reading this blog for the updates.

The next game for both teams is on Monday vs. St. David's Catholic Secondary School.

Go Flames Go!

Waterloo Region High School Choral Festival

On Tuesday, April 21, our Gr. 10 choir participated in the annual Waterloo Region High School Choral Festival at the Centre in the Square.

The guest conductor for the massed choir was Dr. Gerard Yun, Wilfrid Laurier University, and three chamber choirs were conducted by Mrs. Nancy Kidd.

The students had a good time connecting with other choirs and sharing in the joy of music making. We are fortunate to have a world-class theatre so close and being able to sing on that stage was a real highlight for our students.

Thanks to Mr. Dirks for his work preparing the choir and continuing to connect us to the broader school community!

Girls Soccer Tournament

The Girls Soccer Team kicked off their season with a tournament at Galt Collegiate Institute, April 17-18.

With some members of the team involved in MSEC music festival and other pursuits, the team was down to one sub. This left lots of soccer for the remaining members who represented themselves admirably.

Two games on Friday resulted in two late goal losses, 1-0 each against Paris DHS and the host GCI.

Determined to do better on Saturday, the girls responded by beating Waterloo-Oxford 1-0 and tying Our Lady of Lourdes 0-0.

The girls improved dramatically through the two days and look forward to the regular season starting on Wednesday against St. Benedict. The Boys team also kicks off their season on Wednesday.

Go Flames Go!

Grade 8 Winds & Strings at Kiwanis

Last Wednesday, our grade 8 Music Students participated Stratford's Annual Kiwanis Music Festival.

The students played before an adjudicator (though it is not a competition). Ms. Hoffman and Mr Dirks thought that the students played very well.

Kiwanis festivals are held all all over Ontario and around the world. To find out more go to http://www.kiwanis.org/

For more information on the Stratford's festival, click on the picture.

Gr. 12 Encountering Faith Chapel

Tuesday's chapel was led by the Gr. 12 "Encountering Faith" Class.

With music, words, and video the class let the student body in on some of the issues they talk about, speakers they have heard, and actions they have taken. Many students were surprised and excited to hear how the class had "prayed in colour" for the entire school. Sara and Brittany unfurled a banner with the name of each person in the school written in a variety of colours. The time spent writing their name was a way to pray for each person individually.

As this is the first year for this course, we look forward to hearing more from this group and seeing the interest from younger students in taking the course in the future.

Students go the extra mile

The grade 10 History assignment was relatively straight forward. Teacher John Moyer expected that a service assignment would see students spend an hour or so dedicating time to a cause that they were interested in. He was humbled and impressed to see that students went beyond the assignment, revisiting soup kitchens and connecting more with their chosen cause.

Sara Wyngaarden and Alana Zehr made quilts from scrap fabric that they plan to donate to Mennonite Central Committee. What a wonderful example of inspired service!

D8 Badminton Jr. Results

Rockway's athletes played very well on Tuesday in the District 8 Badminton Tournament.

Our team finished 3rd out of 7 which was awesome and Andy Lin won the boy's singles. He's off to CWOSSA next Wednesday (April 15th).

Good luck Andy and congratulations Flames on a great competition!

China Blog Update

There are now tons of pictures on the China Exchange Blog.

Check them out!

Math Contest Week!

Students in grades 9-12 are participating in Canadian math contests through the Centre for Education in Mathematics and Computing at the University of Waterloo.

The Fryer (Gr.9), Galois (Gr.10), Hypatia (Gr.11), and Euclid (Gr. 12) contests give our students the chance to stretch themselves and compete against other students throughout the country.

Many of these contests have been a part of inspiring our students to pursue Math, Computing, Engineering, and Physics in post-secondary learning. Math is fun and creative!

Stay tuned for results in the next couple months.

Pictures and stories from Florida

Check out the pictures and stories from the Florida Science Trip over the March Break!

Guatemala Pictures Added

Check out some pictures from the amazing Guatemala Service Trip on their blog.

They have a ton of stories that we hope to add soon!

Spring Sports Begin for High School

With the smell of spring in the air we know that it's time for spring sports!

The Badminton season is underway and the Track & Field and Soccer teams have started to form. Our athletes are excited to compete and show their school spirit.

Our badminton team competed at a tournament last Friday at Resurrection. Watch out for Andy Lin, who was points away from the championship match, and Bonnie Fung, who was so close to getting back to the championship side!

The soccer and track seasons start in a couple weeks. Our Jr. High athletes will be involved in several one-day tournaments (3-pitch, soccer, and track&field) through May and June.

We have some very talented athletes and we are excited for all of them to challenge themselves, each other, and other teams in their sports.

GO FLAMES GO!

Awards at Model U.N.

A group of Rockway students participated in a Model United Nations on Tuesday hosted by Resurrection Catholic Secondary School.

The students were split into four general assemblies to draft and vote on resolutions for nuclear proliferation.

Each student represented a different country and gave input based on their country's stance.

Twelve awards of merit were given out to students who represented their country with distinction. Of those twelve, three were awarded to Rockway students! Ben Brubaker-Zehr (Canada), Cameron Penny (Israel), and Zainab Ramahi (Iran) were the recipients.

Congratulations students!

Rockway students will be attending another Model UN event at the end of April. Thanks to John Moyer for his leadership in giving our students these opportunities to think globally!

Students Return - Blog Updates

Our students had a great two week break and are now back in class.

We are beginning to update our trip blogs (links on the right) with pictures and stories. You can now read through the experiences of the China trip and we'll be adding pictures/stories to all three trips over the next week or so (as things come in).

Thank you to all our leaders for making each trip an amazing experience for our students!

March Break

As Rockway is on March Break until the 30th, this blog will be taking a hiatus.

However, some of our students are on ventures around the world. There are links to three blogs on the right.

Please pray for our students as they engage in expanding their world through service and experiential learning. 

You can also add your comments and let them know that you are walking with them!

Chapel Series on "Gaza"

This week's chapel services were dedicated to looking at the issues in Gaza, Palestine and Israel.

On Tuesday, Glen Witmer, a Mennonite pastor, teacher, aid worker, who has lived in Israel for many years, gave our students a glimpse into the history of the conflict and some of the issues that make it so complex.

On Thursday, students were presented stories from two perspectives: Laura Wolfson, a Cantor/Educator from Temple Anshe Sholom in Hamilton; and Omar Ramahi, a Palestinian refugee and Electrical Engineering Professor from the University of Waterloo.

In both these chapels we were privileged to hear stories from people who are passionate about peace and justice. Each speaker connected well with the students and tried their best to give context and information to us. It was wonderful to hear Laura and Omar agree on what they feel would be a hopeful first step: allowing Palestinians to return to the land and have equal legal rights as Israelis.

Each speaker, in their own way, urged us to take the difficult stance of standing in the middle and drawing each side to peace.

Sr. Girls VB - So Close at OFSAA

Yesterday, in the quarter final game against the top seed, St. Thomas Aquinas, our Flames came as close as they could to winning a medal at OFSAA.

The first set was lost 25-17. The second set was a grudge match, with both teams playing excellent volleyball. Our Flames had several chances to win (and thought that they had at one point!) but couldn't hold back a team with gold on their mind. St. Thomas Aquinas took the second set with an epic score of 31-29 and went on to win the tournament.

Congratulations Flames (players, mangers and coaches) for playing great volleyball all season and representing Rockway so well!

Here are both sets in edited form. Enjoy!

Set 1:

Set 2:

Into the Quarterfinals

The Sr. Girls have won their last pool game and ended up 2nd. This puts them up against the number 1 seed, St. Thomas Aquinas, in the championship quarterfinals at 12:30 today.

Go Flames Go!

Sr. Girls competing at OFSAA

The Sr. Girls Volleyball team got off to a great start today at OFSAA in Port Hope.

Seeded 9th, the girls started the tournament by defeating the 8th seed, EJ Lajeunesse in straight sets. They followed that up with another two-set victory over Monsignor de Charbonnel. The last game of the day was against the 3rd seed, Centre Desloges. After losing the first set 25-23, the Flames could not find a way to bounce back and lost 25-16.

This sets them up for a tough day of competition on Wednesday. They will finish the pool play tomorrow against a lower-seeded team and so can anticipate ending up 2nd in their pool. If this happens they will face the number 1 seed in the quarterfinals.

If anyone can do it, our Flames can! Go girls!  

Humpty Dumpty Found

On Friday and Saturday night, the gr. 6-8s put on an amazing production of "Humpty Dumpty is Missing".

Who knew that the Police Chief was doubling as the "Please Chief" in the form of Humpty Dumpty?

As you can see from the pictures, the students looked great and told the story with a ton of energy! Thank you to all the cast, crew, teachers and parents who made this production so memorable.

Senior Choir invited to nationals!

Last Tuesday, the Senior Choir participated in the Ontario Vocal Festival, held at Galt Collegiate Institute. The choir sang three pieces for a panel of adjudicators and then participated in a workshop. One of the adjudicators, Charles White, said "This is a choir that has attended to many things - balance, tuning, discipline... congratulations Rockway!"

As a result of their excellent performance, the choir has been invited to the national showcase, MusicFest Canada in May!

Thanks to each choir member for your hard work and for representing the school so well.

Thanks also to Ms. Ann L. Schultz for continuing to teach and inspire our students to achieve excellence in music-making.

Rockway student editorial in The Record

Rockway's chair of Social Concerns, Zainab Ramahi, writes about her personal connection and experience in the war-torn region of Kashmir in today's edition of The Record.

Click here to read her editorial online.

Earlier this year, Zainab shared her experience with the student body through a chapel. Her words were accompanied by pictures and videos that she had taken this past summer.

Humpty Dumpty will be missing!

Our grade 6-8s have been working hard over the past several months in preparation for this weekend's production of "Humpty Dumpty is Missing or The Mysterious Case of the Fallen Egg".

For a brief synopsis of the play click here.

In addition, on Saturday March 7 we are hosting a "Get to Know Rockway" event prior to the show for prospective families with children in grades 3-8. For more information go to the event site.

Come on out and support our talented students!

Dinner & Auction Extravaganza

This video pretty much speaks for itself! A great evening in support of our school. Thank you to all the volunteers, staff, and purchasers who continue to contribute so much to our community.

If you weren't there this year, get it on your calendar for next year - February 27, 2010!

CWOSSA Champs and Finalists

All four of our teams ended up in their respective final games at the CWOSSA championships on Thursday!

In boys basketball, the Seniors relied on their three-point shooting, but it let them down in a tough game to finish the season.

The Junior team played a tense game trailing through three quarters by a handful of points. The last minute of the game had the Flames leading by a single point. In possession of the ball with 20 seconds left, nerves led to an errant pass and a turnover. The Flames had fouls to give and on the next inbound pass they succeeded in getting seconds off the clock. On the final play, their opponents got a shot off but missed giving the Flames the win 46-45! A dramatic finish to a great season.

In girls volleyball, the Juniors played a five-set grudge match against ValleyHeights. In the fifth set the teams were evenly matched until a surge from Valley Heights put them out of reach as they went on to beat our Flames 15-12.

The Seniors rolled through the competition winning every set of the day. They also played Valley Heights in the final and continued their dominance to earn a spot at OFSAA.

Thanks to all the coaches and players for being great ambassadors for the school and playing the season with integrity and character! (Photos for this post will appear next week.)

Follow our senior girls, March 9-11 in Port Hope, as they compete against the best in the province!

Grade 6-8 Science Fair

Yesterday, the foyer and Silo were full of displays for the Gr. 6-8 Science Fair.

The student's hard work was evident and there was lots to see and learn about. Many of the projects focused on "green" ideas like solar power, wind power, hybrid cars, and this Global Warming project (Emanouel gr.7).

It was clear that a lot of time was spent researching, experimenting, and designing each display.

The judges had a tough job in deciding the winners and the results will be known next week. Stay tuned and check out the slideshow!

Sr. Girls VB - D8 Champs!

The Sr. Girls Volleyball team ended an 11-year drought by claiming the District 8 Championship last night. 

A hard fought game against the St. Benedict Saints gave the fans much to cheer about. After a close first set, with Rockway winning 25-22, the Saints were desperate to come back and jumped to a 6-2 lead to open the second set. An 11- serve streak by Clare Schellenberg demoralized the Saints and led the Flames to an easy 25-12 second set victory. The Saints showed a lot of character by regrouping and bringing the level of play up. They jumped to the lead in the third set and seemed bent on winning it. However, great defense and perseverance saw the Flames chip away at the lead and then pass the amazed Saints to take the set and the championship 25-23.

The Flames fans were working just as hard as the players and made for an unstoppable "sea of red." Drums, shakers, tambourines, a trumpet, and even an accordion made for an entertaining night of school spirit! 

Highlights:  

Rockway student named to region's 40 under 40

Zainab Ramahi, a grade 11 student, was named today in the Record's top 40 under 40; a special section highlighting individuals who are making significant contributions in their chosen fields.

As chairperson of the Social Concerns Committee, Zainab has volunteered countless hours working on awareness and fundraising projects. This contribution to the school community and her work in the region are incredibly valuable and well-deserving of recognition. 

The awards were given out yesterday at a special ceremony in the Canada Room at the Record, in downtown Kitchener. Click here to see a video of the ceremony (Zainab is seen at 2:06).

Congratulations Zainab (the youngest of the 40)!

Loving to Learn 2009 Winner!

Last week, Abigail Johnson took first place in the University of Waterloo's "Loving to Learn 2009" contest. 

The contest invited students to submit an "education quotation" that was short, snappy and captured a perspective on teaching or learning.

The winning quote: "Learning is like a house filled with open doors."

Congratulations Abigail and Honourable Mention, Liza Klassen (both in grade 9)!

Kicking it off - Sr. Girls BB

Rockway Mennonite Collegiate is an incredible place! There is a ton happening in such a small school and we have much to celebrate.

This blog has been started to highlight student achievements and school happenings. Each day there will be something new to read or look at.

To begin with, let's celebrate an "old" story of our Senior Girls Basketball team winning the OFSAA championship for the first time! Click here to read the Record article.

Some video from the game (starts at 1:14) :

And some photos from the celebration: