Dear Parent/Guardian: We hope that you find this Newsletter informative and enjoyable to read. The articles, student creations and the pictures included are testaments to the many opportunities for growth that Northview Heights Secondary School offers to its students. Please continue to support your sons/daughters and encourage them to take part in those activities, be they sports, clubs, contests, etc. Included with this newsletter is a copy of your son/daughter’s mid-semester report card for semester one. Please discuss the report card with him/her and, should you have any questions, please call the school at 416-395-3290. In our opening address to students we challenged our students to accomplish the following:

1. To find a caring friend in the building 2. To find a caring adult in the building 3. To get involved in school life outside of the classroom

Already in the first ten weeks of the school year we have seen students building friendships. We have witnessed the bonds between staff and students grow stronger and we have experienced a tremendous show of support in our rich selection of co-instructional activities. As we progress further into semester 1 and beyond and as the flu season becomes more prominent we ask all members of the NHSS Community to take the extra care needed to stay healthy. This would include the protocol around hand washing/use of hand sanitizer and exercising caution with your son/daughter’s attendance if he/she is feeling under the weather. We have had a wonderful beginning to semester 1 at Northview and we are looking forward to building on this strong start. Our school continues to grow and thrive because of the strong partnerships that exist between its students, staff, parents and the school community. Sincerely,

Peter Paputsis Principal

Principal’s Message I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E

1 Principal’s Message

2 Math, Science, CyberARTS

3 HMST, Visual Arts

4 APGA, Semi Formal

5 Special Events @ Northview

6 Student Services, Performing Arts, Technology

7 Library, Grade 9, Spirit Week

Pr inc ipa l : Peter Paputs i s Super in tendent : John Chas ty

T rus tee: James Pas te rnak

550 F inch Ave. Wes t , To ronto , ON M2R 1N6 Te lephone: 416 .395 .3290 November 16 , 2009 Vo lume 5 I s sue 4

Northview Heights

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Math Department CONTESTS: As the weather cools, our students’ brains are heating up! Math students are already preparing for the Waterloo Math contests which will take place on Thursday, February 25, 2010 for grades 9 through 12 and Wednesday, April 7, 2010 for grade 12 students. EQAO: Our EQAO results were strong again at the end June. Northview’s Grade 9 students achieved above the standard of the TDSB for both academic and applied programs. Well done grade 9’s! The individual results have been sent home with students mid-October. EXTRA HELP: If you are in need of extra help in math, teachers in the Math Department are very generous about giving extra help to their students. Most teachers spend part of their lunch time tutoring students in their classrooms. Students are encouraged to speak to their teacher about extra help. Our suggested guideline is, if a student has a mark of less than 60% the student should be coming for extra help, either with their math teacher or through Students InK, S.T.Y.L.E (Monday and Wednesday after school) or the math tutoring available through the Settlement office (Tuesday and Thursday after school)!

CyberARTS - College Teachers @ Northview Northview staff and students welcomed a group of visiting Chinese faculty from SuOn International College. These instructors were here to explore Canadian teaching methodology and how our CyberARTS department offers its unique programming. The tour started with a culinary arts experience, piano recital and a tour of the Cisco networking area. The visitors saw our art and design students in action. Grade 12 CyberARTS students showcased their work with presentations, activities and demonstrations while sharing their knowledge and expertise with our visitors. We also received tremendous support from students who speaking Putonghua (Mandarin) who assisted as interpreters. The visiting teachers viewed traditional and digital art portfolios created by our senior students. Also their visual senses were captivated with 3D and Flash animations. The faculty from SuOn international College and Centennial College were impressed with Northview’s professional, friendly and dedicated staff and students. Kudos to all the students and staff who helped make this event a success.

Science Department Science teachers are looking forward to bringing back innovative ideas from attending the STAO (Science Teachers’ Association of Ontario) conference this week. Climate Change is a new topic in the Grade 10 curriculum so a workshop has been attended a workshop and many resources have been gathered. The science department is developing a website to support students. It will contain science information, science course descriptions, pre-requisites and exam preparation material. Stay tuned for this exciting development.

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The Honours Math, Science and Technology students have been hard at work this semester. In addition to their academic successes, students have begun to apply their knowledge and skill in various activities happening at school. HMST students have been busy completing field studies at the Humber Arboretum and attending presentations from the likes of Research and Defence Canada. Our grade 10 and 11 classes have also been diligent in acting as mentors to our new grade 9 HMST students. Great friendships are fast forming. Upcoming opportunities include the Waterloo Math and Waterloo Chemistry and Physics Exams, Skills Canada and the Sci-Tech Fair. HMST applications for grade 9 entrance into the program for September 2010 are available in the main office and on the school website.

Scarf knitted with wool and knitting needles from ArtsJunktion.

Visual Arts going Green The Visual Arts department has been supporting Northview’s Eco School efforts by reducing material consumption and by reusing materials. Our best source for recycled materials is the TDSB’s ArtsJunktion, a recycled materials depot. The ArtsJunktion has provided us with specialty papers, fabric, wool and knitting needles, magazines, books and countless other treasures for our art classrooms. Artworks made with “green” materials can be found throughout this newsletter. Sasha P. and Margarita T. with a textile painting on cotton fabric accented with silk, both from ArtsJunktion (below). Art Cards created with specialty papers from ArtsJunktion and sold to support the Eco Club.

Jelly Fish Creation

Sasha P. and Margarita T. with a textile painting

Construction Technology Students: Left to right: Dillon B., Shahin H., Desran M., Mike S., Kyle H., Daniel N. and Crystina D.

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Academic Program for Gifted Athletes Alumni, Peter Polyzotis (kayaking) and Hanna Serajeddini (soccer), have recently completed their 4 year university degree. Peter attended University of Ottawa and studied human kinetics. He entered there with the Stephan Ayton Scholarship. Hanna had attended the University of Guelph and studied biology. She entered with an academic scholarship, also. They both hope to attend medical school as the next stage of their studies. Justin Shin (golf) continued his training in British Columbia. He has recently received an athletic scholarship and is now attending the New Mexico State University. Justin has always dropped in to APGA to visit when he played tournaments at this end of Canada.

Students Achieve Success @ Northview

Left to right, Laimonas D., Evgeny T., Kaleem A., Michael B., Kelvin R. and Alex B.

Northview Semi Formal 2009 Northview is holding our third annual semi-formal on Thursday, November 19, 2009 at the Columbus Centre from 7pm – 11pm. This is the chance for Northview students to look their best and enjoy a classy evening with their friends. The evening includes dinner and dancing and is sure to be accompanied by many great photos. Also, this event will be attended by Northview staff and administration, and it’s sure to be an evening to remember.

Judy Z. & Melissa L. – Grade 10 CyberARTS students

Northview APGA Athletes @ The

Canada Games in PEI

Albin C. participated in the Boys Ontario team and won a bronze medal.

Rebecca L. won a silver medal in the individual category and as a member of the Girls Ontario team, she won a silver medal.

Matthew S. was captain of the Ontario Soccer team. They earned a bronze medal.

Music Night Welcome music lovers! You are cordially invited to a celebration by the Music department on December 10, starting at 7 pm. Band, guitar, and piano performances will be featured for your enjoyment, with refreshments at the intermission. We look forward to seeing you!

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Future Aces Leadership Conference From November 13 -15, eight Northview students had the opportunity to attend the Future Aces Leadership Conference at the Talisman Resort in Kimberley, Ontario. Founded by Herb Carnegie, Future Aces is an organization that aims to inspire and motivate youth to recognize their own leadership potential and to use it to have a positive impact in their lives, as well as their community. Our students networked with students from more than 20 schools across the TDSB, and they will surely be putting their leadership strengths to use throughout the rest of the year at Northview.

Free The Children On Thursday, November 12, Northview had two fantastic speakers from Free the Children visit our school. They educated our students on the impacts of poverty on young people and motivated our students. Free the Children is an organization whose mission is to free children from poverty and exploitation, and to empower young people to take action to improve the lives of their peers in developing countries. Northview has teamed up with Free the Children in their Brick by Brick program with the goal of raising funds to build a school in Sierra Leone while educating our community about important opportunities that young people can take part in to make positive differences in their own communities as well as the world. Michel Chikwanine and Sally Hakim are the two dynamic youth motivational speakers that spoke on behalf of Free the Children. A former child soldier from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Michel Chikwanine has already endured and overcome unimaginable pain and struggles. His passion and belief in the possibility for change makes him a truly remarkable individual and humanitarian. Sally Hakim joined Free The Children founder Craig Kielburger on a truly life-changing trip to Sri Lanka to help film a documentary about the impact of the tsunami in 2005. There, she was an eye witness to the incredible difference young people from around the world were making in the overwhelming need for disaster relief. Sally is a recipient of the Youth in Motion Top 20 Under 20 Award, and the OSSTF (Ontario’s Secondary School Teacher’s Federation) Status of Women Award through her work promoting women’s issues, advocacy and equality among students. Thanks to her strong history of community involvement, Sally was also one of only 100 young people worldwide chosen to attend the Jane Goodall Global Youth Summit in Orlando, Florida, in 2008. We are sure that the experiences that these speakers were able to share have inspired many of our own students to step up and make a difference!

GO LOCAL Northview is one of 20 schools in the TDSB that has been chosen to take part in Free the Children’s GO Local program. This program will give 20 Northview students the chance to take part in leadership development seminars throughout the year while working on a service project in our local community. We look forward to seeing their talents and ideas showcased in the near future.

More Arts… Ontario Arts Council visiting artist, Gunnel Hag has been working with Grades 10 and 11 Visual Arts classes along with the Fashion Class. Students learned different fabric printing techniques and created their own original paintings using environmentally friendly dyes. Look for the colorful artwork to be displayed around the school soon. Some of our students’ is showcased in this newsletter. Also last month Grade 12 CyberARTS students visited the Explore Design Show at the Metro Convention Centre. Here’s what one of our students though about experience: “Walking through a jungle of intriguing exhibits, it was hard to distinguish what I found was most appealing due to the fact that I was overwhelmed by a mist of art, design, and excitement. At every angle of my eyes, every corner of the building had something different to look at. It was like being in a room full of what-the-future-has-to-offer.”

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The Performing Arts @ Northview Dear diary, These past few months have been a whirlwind of excitement. I’m getting way ahead of myself though. Let’s start from the beginning… One I found out that the Production Drama class was performing Grease, my schedule immediately changed. The way I saw it, it was my final year and I needed to do something amazing. Be a part of something amazing. I needed to be in that musical. And I wanted to try out for Sandy… My heart nearly pounded right out of my chest after the first auditions. Afterwards though, everyone said I did fine, and I reallpy hoped they weren’t lying… After what seemed like a million years and a thousand callbacks later, the final cast list was up. I had gotten the role of Sandy (so did Claire)!… Getting a lead role in the school musical felt like floating on a cloud. So now the production class has been practicing and working our butts off to try and get ready for Destination Northview. We’ve been dancing, singing, the whole she-bang… And I’m so excited. Don’t worry, diary, I’ll keep you posted. After all, this is only the beginning! Hillory R.

Student Services September began with a busy and productive school opening. Our senior students had the opportunity to meet and ask important questions regarding post secondary programs at the University Dialogue on October 29th and the College Dialogue on November 9th. Representatives from numerous universities and colleges gave an overview of post secondary choices, answered students’ questions and distributed information. The grade 12’s had a chance to attend OUAC and OCAS assemblies in which an overview of the application process to universities and colleges were given. Workshops and information meetings were held to provide the most up to date requirements on scholarships and awards to help students with selecting which scholarships to apply for. In addition to school workshops, a representative from student awards will be at Northview to discuss, with our students, the topic of “Scholarships 101” on November 16th. Our counsellors have been welcoming and helping our grade 9 students with making a smooth transition to secondary school. Our dedicated team of counselor has visited all grade 9 core classes. During these visits students were given an overview of requirements and options necessary for graduation, including the 40 hours of community service and extra curricular activities offered at Northview Heights. Our goal is to give our students the necessary tools to make informed decisions while ensuring success at Northview. Please drop by to meet with our counsellors!

Technology News Senior construction students attended a field trip to Forest Valley Outdoor Education in October, 2009. This was a working field trip where students helped develop a new pathway for younger students to travel along during their field trip excursions. Northview’s Construction students were divided into two teams with each team building part of the new walkway. All the students were invited back to Forest Valley at any time due to the excellent job they performed.

Melissa L. – Grade 10 CyberARTS student

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Library Book Clubs Northview’s Library is launching 2 book clubs in the coming weeks. Starting Monday November 16, the Northview Reads! Book Club will be reading The Road by Cormac McCarthy. Each month a new book will be read and interested students can sign up. In December, our second book club, The White Pine Award Book Club, will be launched. The White Pine Award Book Club is run province-wide and features 10 specially chosen books by Canadian Young Adult authors.

Northview Heights Secondary School

Telephone: 416.395.3290 550 Finch Ave. West, Toronto, ON M2R 1N6

Web: http://schools.tdsb.on.ca/northviewheights

Province-wide voting takes place in April and an awards ceremony is held at Harborfront in May, with authors attending. In the past 2 years, Club members have attended the ceremony. Teacher-librarians and guest teachers will be participating in the readings and discussions. Students should come to the Library to look at the books and sign up for this exciting opportunity.

The GRADE 9’s The Grade Nine Department has a tradition of pursuing excellence through developing well-rounded students. So far, we have focused on Education, the Arts and Athletics. November has proved to be our ‘Community Education’ month. It includes a Police Visit (on top of an excellent session with Officer Ang, our school resource officer), and a joint-initiative with the Nursing Students from Humber College to give a health-related workshop to the Grade Nines. DESTINATION NORTHVIEW and Grade 8 Night are coming up and they already have the highest number of volunteers coming from our grade students. Finally, our annual trip to Kensington Market / Chinatown continues to be a success. In our commitment to the Arts, December will see our involvement with LEARNING THROUGH THE ARTS where a musician will be coming in to work with our students, tying in the Arts with our curriculum. We are also looking forward to welcoming award-winning author Shane Peacock to make a stop on his lecture circuit at Northview to speak to the core classes. The Grade Nine Department continues our strong participation in athletics. We have recently finished our first round of Intramurals for volleyball, which is a competition between the grade 9 cores. It was a chance to form connections with and to show our school spirit. There was an excellent turnout, with 9E winning in the finals.

Spirit Week October 26 – October 30 marked Northview’s first spirit week this year. Students dressed according to theme each day of the week, whether it was by wearing Northview colours, dressing preppy, representing their culture, bringing retro fashions back to life, or dressing up in costume for Hallowe’en. The week also included fun events such as a volleyball game buy-out, candy-gram exchanges and a haunted house created right within the school. Northview showed that it has spirit! Watch out for more events throughout the year from this year’s Student Administrative Council.

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