Middle School Matters

For Friday, January 7th, 2022

Catching up on our Christmas Breaks

Here were some highlights from this unusual week:

Upcoming Dates:

Other Items

Thanks, Tim. Coming up next on the show: let’s get to know one of our amazing Grade 6 teachers, Mrs. Annie Lean!

Final Words

Contact us at any time at [email protected] or [email protected].

We’re humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve your children each day. Have a great week, and we’ll talk to you again next weekend! 

For Friday, December 10th, 2021

Welcome back to our Middle School Matters podcast!

Here were some highlights from the week:

Upcoming Dates:

Other Items

Coming up in 2022: Teacher Interviews Have Been Scheduled!

We’re looking at off-campus privileges for Grade 8s in 2022

Mary: We’d like to share a shoutout to our listeners!

This week’s shoutout goes to … Tina Chiao. 

She writes “Dear Mary and Tim, I enjoyed another MS Podcast - listened to it this afternoon while I was working. Great to hear the athletics teams are having fun, the food drive is going well and that the school is gearing up for all the excitement of the Christmas holidays. Always fun to hear your voices! Please enter me for the fun prize draw! Thank you.”

Today is the day for out second "spin to win" Christmas themed prize pack which includes:  

Don't forget that your feedback about the show qualifies you for entry to the next draw which will include a $50 gift card donated by Boston Pizza, so keep those comments coming.

Final Words

Bits & Bytes This Week: pre-race comments, reactions to our snowy Monday

For Friday, December 3rd, 2021

Welcome back to our Middle School Matters podcast!

Here were some highlights from the week:

Upcoming Dates:

Other Items: We’re looking at off-campus privileges for Grade 8s in 2022

Mary: We’d like to share a shoutout to our listeners! 

This week’s shoutout goes to … Winnie Yip.

She writes “Hi Mary and Tim, Praise the lord for such a beautiful morning. Hope you both are well! Just want to say that our family continues to enjoy the podcast. We are fans and my grade 7 and grade 5 look forward to it every weekend. They enjoy listening to the different content and also guessing who the students are in the bits and bytes. My grade 5 is wishing he will be interviewed by Mr. Cavey some day 😊. I also want to thank you for the links to the video series on social media. The videos are practical with helpful suggestions. I have learned quite a bit from it! Thanks Mary and Tim for all you do, not just the podcast, but for everything you are doing for middle school.. I just want to let you both know that I truly appreciate what you do! Stay warm and enjoy the beautiful day!

Blessings,

Winnie”

Stay tuned for our next spin the wheel draw for a Christmas-themed family fun pack which will happen on December 10th. Your feedback about the show qualifies you for entry, so keep those comments coming.

Final Words

Bits & Bytes

For Friday, November 26th, 2021

Welcome back to our Middle School Matters podcast!

Here were some highlights from the week:

Upcoming Dates:

Other Items

We’d like to share a shoutout to our listeners! 

This week’s shoutout goes to … Stephanie Lueck.

Stay tuned for our next spin the wheel draw for a Christmas-themed family fun pack which will happen on December 10th. Your feedback about the show qualifies you for entry, so keep those comments coming.

Final Words

Thank you for listening! We so appreciate your support. We’d encourage you to subscribe so that you don’t miss a future episode, and encourage other parents to do the same! 

Contact us at any time at [email protected] or [email protected].

We’re humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve your children each day. Have a great week, and we’ll talk to you again next weekend! 

For Friday, November 19th, 2021

Welcome back to our Middle School Matters podcast!

Here were some highlights from the week:

Upcoming Dates:

We’d like to share a shoutout to our listeners!

This week’s shoutout goes to … Erin Goheen Glanville. She writes “Thanks for the podcast. I just caught up on the episodes and am wishing I had caught up earlier. So helpful! Now I understand better some of the things I've been hearing from my daughter. She is loving it at VCS lately.” 

Stay tuned for announcements about our Christmas-themed family fun pack in early December. Your feedback about the show qualifies you for entry, so keep those comments coming.

Final Words

Thank you for listening! We so appreciate your support. We’d encourage you to subscribe so that you don’t miss a future episode, and encourage other parents to do the same! Contact us at any time at [email protected] or [email protected]. We’re humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve your children each day. Have a great week, and we’ll talk to you again next weekend! Stick around to hear bits and bytes from our wonderful middle school community. Talk to ya later!

For Friday, November 12th, 2021

Welcome back to our Middle School Matters podcast!

Here were some highlights from the week:

Reviewing the new proficiency language terms and their descriptors

Upcoming Dates:

Mary: We’d like share to shoutout to our listeners!

This week’s shoutout goes to … Jessica, Hailey and Kristen Chow!

Stay tuned for announcements about our Christmas-themed family fun pack in early December. Your feedback about the show qualifies you for entry, so keep those comments coming.

Final Words

Contact us at any time at [email protected] or [email protected].

We’re humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve your children each day. Have a great week, and we’ll talk to you again next weekend! 

Bits & Bytes: In Flanders Fields (sung by 5D for our K-8 Remembrance Day ceremony)

For Friday, November 5th, 2021

Welcome back to our Middle School Matters podcast!

Here were some highlights from the week:

Upcoming Dates:

A great note from a parent: What are your kids watching?

Mary: We’d like share to shoutout to our listeners!

This week’s shoutout goes to … Tina Chiao: “Always appreciate the effort and energy that goes into recording the podcasts for our MS families. I, like most parents, have subscribed to ensure I don't miss any episodes. The synergy between the two of you is great... always entertaining. Also really helpful to have a heads-up on school events and highlights, especially now that we are less connected because of Covid. Thanks for all that you do to keep parents and caregivers engaged in the school community with this technology! - Tina “

Final Words

Bits & Bytes: Checking in with Mr. Lee, saying hi to Mrs. Prinsloo, Grade 8 boys, worship practice, strings practice 

For Friday, November 5th, 2021

Welcome back to our Middle School Matters podcast!

Here were some highlights from the week:

Upcoming Dates:

A great note from a parent: What are your kids watching?

We know that Squid Game is incredibly popular … but is it appropriate for our middle schoolers? Something to think about.

Other items on our radar in middle school: umbrellas, phones, Chromebook use.

We’d like to shout out our listeners!

This week’s shoutout goes to … Tina Chiao: “Always appreciate the effort and energy that goes into recording the podcasts for our MS families. I, like most parents, have subscribed to ensure I don't miss any episodes. The synergy between the two of you is great... always entertaining. Also really helpful to have a heads-up on school events and highlights, especially now that we are less connected because of Covid. Thanks for all that you do to keep parents and caregivers engaged in the school community with this technology! - Tina “

Final Words

Bits & Bytes: Checking in with Mr. Lee, Mrs. Prinsloo, Grade 8 volleyball players, MS worship practice, and MS strings

Welcome back to our Middle School Matters podcast!

Here were some highlights from the week:

Upcoming Dates:

Last week our Grade 6-7 students enjoyed a cross-country competition at Bear Creek Park in Surrey. For more on the day, let’s go to Mrs. Vanessa Neufeld with the track report.

Mary: We’d like share a shoutout for our listeners!

This week’s shoutout goes to Connie and Jason Leong. They wrote: “Our family listens to the podcasts together and really enjoy getting to know the both of you in this way. We get good laughs! Appreciate the audio updates on middle school as my eyes get really tired by the end of the day!  Appreciate the summary page within the podcast too. As a suggestion, we would love to get to know the middle school staff through informal interviews ! Praying for VCS always.”

It’s finally TIME - time for us to spin the wheel for the Family Fun Pack! Mary, let the listeners know what’s inside!

Shoutout to our student listeners in 8M! You know who you are and we appreciate you!

Final Words

Thank you for listening! We so appreciate your support. We’d encourage you to subscribe so that you don’t miss a future episode, and encourage other parents to do the same! Contact us at any time at [email protected] or [email protected]. We’re humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve your children each day. Have a great week, and we’ll talk to you again next weekend! Stick around to hear bits and bytes from our wonderful middle school community. Talk to ya later! Goodbye!

For Friday, October 22nd

Welcome back to our Middle School Matters podcast!

My name is Tim Cavey, and I’m the VCS Middle School vice-principal

My name is Mary DeBoer, and I’m the VCS Middle School principal

Here were some highlights from the week:

Just a 3-day week ... it kind of went by in a flash!

Bear Creek Cross-Country Run: Thanks to Vanessa Neufeld and our track coaches for preparing our students for a full day of competition. Our students performed well and I believe one of our Grade 7 girls took a prize for first overall! We’ll try to bring you more on this event next week.

Parent Teacher Conferences: so many good reports from teachers about the positive conversations and connections they shared with parents! Thank you for participating and investing in your child’s growth and learning.

Friday: we started professional learning book studies that we’re really excited about!

Issue of the Week: Navigating the Wonderful World of Social Media with your middle schoolers

Listener shoutouts: Stephanie Lueck, Erin Goheen Glanville, Jessica, Hailey, and Kristen Chow, Tina Chiao, and Connie and Jason Leong

Parents, in our next episode we will be giving away a family fun pack handpicked by Mary. Anyone who has shared feedback by email will be entered in the draw, so send us your comments at [email protected] and [email protected].

Shoutout to our student listeners in 8M! You know who you are and we appreciate you!

Final Words

Thank you for listening! We so appreciate your support.

We’d encourage you to subscribe so that you don’t miss a future episode, and encourage other parents to do the same!

Contact us at any time at [email protected] or [email protected].

We’re humbled and grateful for the opportunity to serve your children each day. Have a great week, and we’ll talk to you again next weekend! Good-bye.

Stick around to hear bits and bytes from our wonderful middle school community. Talk to ya later!