LOOKING AHEAD

Thornhill Secondary School

PAW PRINTS

VOLUME 8 ISSUE 4 June 2017

INSIDE Page(s)

Department News 2-20

Staffing Changes 3

Registration Information 4

School Cash On-Line 5

Message from Trustee 6

Thornhill Athletic Council 8

Parent Council Nomination Form 11

Eco-Certififed 15

Character Matters 19

August 29 Registration/Photo Day September 5 First Day Grade 9 September 6 First Day Grades10-12 September 14 Parent Council September 25 PA Day September 27 Photo Retake Day September 28 Terry Fox/Carnival October 9 Thanksgiving October 12 Parent Council October 13 Interim Reports October 19 Parents’ Night October 20 PA Day

Thornhill Secondary School 167 Dudley Avenue

Thornhill, ON L3T 2E5

Telephone: 905.889.5453 Fax: 905.889.0360

Website: http://thornhill.ss.yrdsb.ca

Administration David McAdam, Principal

Georgia Vatousis, Vice-Principal Kandeephan Ganeshalingam, Vice-Principal

Superintendent of Schools Rashmi Swarup

Trustee Susan Geller

School Council Co-Chairs Susan Eaton and Shirley Porjes Gupta

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

This newsletter signals the end of another chapter in the history of Thornhill Secondary School. What a year it has been! Thank you to our members and partners for all your input into our ongoing success! I am very fortunate to be part of a community where student learning, achievement and well-being are a top priority; thanks largely to the tremendous efforts of an awesome staff. It is a pleasure to work as part of a team that tirelessly promotes student development in a caring, respectful and inclusive environment. It is also a pleasure to acknowledge parental support and the home-school-community partnerships which help ensure the success of T.S.S. Many thanks to each and everyone for your contributions. A special ‘thank you’ and farewell to Shirley Porjes-Gupta. We are grateful for everything you have done in leading the School Council for the past four years. As well, a big ‘thank you’ to Susan Eaton who has served as co-chair. Throughout the school year our students have been involved in a number of amazing opportunities both inside and outside the classroom. Be it in daily course instruction, Grade 9 Day, the Terry Fox Run, the Semiformal, the Prom, Math Contests, Computer Contests, Science Contests, Relay for Life, Intra-mural Sports, Tournaments, Parents’ Nights, Post-Secondary Fairs, Grade Assemblies, Safety Week, Workshops, Conferences, Simulations, Open Mic Nights, Movie Nights, Field Trips, Excursions, Vimy 100, the Asian Heritage Festival, Canada 150, Fundraising Activities, the School Play, the Athletic Banquet, Graduation, and a host of other experiences, our students have demonstrated great character. Hats off to you, especially to the Class of 2017! We are proud of you for taking advantage of the many occasions to learn and grow, and for responsibly pursuing self and community development. I also extend special congratulations and well wishes to staff members who are on the move. Please see “Staffing Changes for 2017-2018” in this newsletter for more details. As we close another chapter in our school’s history, I am grateful for our individual and collective efforts and achievements. I am also anticipating the new or extended opportunities that await us. Our school staff continuously reflects upon and evaluates our practices in order to make sure that we are effectively addressing students’ needs, interests and abilities. More specifically, within our School Improvement Planning process, various data continue to be reviewed to identify relevant, impactful goals for our student body. Looking ahead, our focus is to more explicitly develop students’ resiliency, intrinsic motivation, and metacognitive skills as lifelong learners. We are eagerly anticipating the journey. On behalf of the Administration Team, we look forward to seeing all returnees to T.S.S. next year. We wish everyone a restful, safe and happy summer! Sincerely, David A. McAdam.

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On behalf of the staff, and particularly the Mathematics Department, we would like to congratulate all TSS students for taking part in the math contests. The following students received medals for obtaining the highest scores in the Waterloo contest:

Euclid Contest, Grade 12 - Hao Ran Zhu Fryer Contest, Grade 9 - Sean Huh, Andrej Stojanovic, Kevin Wang, Raymond Zhang

Galois, Contest Grade 10 - Albert Ding Hypatia, Contest Grade 11 - Yuchen Xue

Two weeks ago, our grade nine students took part in the EQAO Test. All students working toward a credit in Grade 9 Academic or Applied Mathematics are required to participate in this assessment. These tests evaluate how well students are meeting the curriculum expectations of the Grade 9 Academic or Applied Mathematics courses from The Ontario Curriculum.

What a great year this was for TSS and the Math Department! Next year we will continue to prepare our students to succeed in high school, university and college, and to apply what they learn to their future careers. On behalf of the Math Department we wish you all a safe and relaxing summer.

Every year parents and students ask us where they can find practice exercises to better prepare them for high school and University so we decided to do just that. Grade 9 -12. http://www.aaastudy.com/geo79_x5.htm http://ginaotto.com/math.html http://www.purplemath.com/modules/polydiv.htm http://www.hyper-ad.com/tutoring/math/algebra/Synthetic%20Division.html http://library.thinkquest.org/C0110248/algebra/remfactintro.htmhttp://www.acts.tinet.ie/trigonometry_645.html http://www.sosmath.com/trig/addform/addform.html http://www.sosmath.com/trig/douangl/douangl.html http://sosmath.com/trig/prodform/prodform.html http://www.acts.tinet.ie/trigonometry_645.html

The Mathematics and Statistics Committee of the Atlantic Provinces Committee on the Sciences has put together a booklet that contains many sample questions and hints to help you prepare for University Calculus. (http://cs.smu.ca/apics/calculus/welcome.php)

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STAFFING CHANGES FOR 2017-2018 Congratulations, thanks and best wishes to the following teachers who are on the move: Keith Auyeung, to Unionville High School Jason Havelock, to Markham District High School Kimia Kamarhie, to Bill Hogarth Secondary School Anisa Karapici, to Vaughan Secondary School Jaymyi Lesmond to Regional appointment April McDonald, parental leave Gregory Monteith, to Maple High School Megan Ryan, to Bill Hogarth Secondary School William Schwan, to Tommy Douglas S.S. Athina Tsatsos, returning to Bur Oak Secondary

School as Head of Moderns Support Staff: Thanks & farewell to: Our best wishes to Harold Tam, Educational

Assistant, as he takes a leave to attend Teachers’ College.

We welcome (back):

Jason Adams, returning from leave of absence Walter Birch, from Sir William Mulock SS Heather Leatham, Head of Moderns Mathew Maclean, Educational Assistant,

returning from leave of absence Lillian Mandatori, returning from leave of

absence Patricia Nasmith, returning from leave of

absence Jesse Richard, Autism Program Teacher

A fond farewell to Lou D’Angela and Brigitte Thom.

We thank you for your contributions to public

education, and for your devoted service to our

students. All the best for a happy retirement!

Congratulations to all for a successful end to the 2016-17 school year! The

Thornhill ESL Department and the Hand in Hand Club have had a great

year filled with fun, laughter and learning. Our Asian Heritage Festival

celebrated art and culture from the many countries of Asia! There was art,

food, music, games and many other activities. The TSS Heritage Band

performed and students and staff took photos with traditional Asian

characters! Our Asian Heritage Band also played at the YRDSB Asian

Heritage Event for staff and students at Richmond Green SS. We are very

proud of them! If you play a traditional instrument, come out and join us

next year!

In September, the ESL Department and the Hand in Hand club will

welcome new grade 9 students and over 65 new Visa students. We

will be part of the Grade 9 Orientation and we will host a special

afternoon orientation for the Visa students on Tuesday, September

5th. We look forward to welcoming all of the new students to TSS.

Come out and join the Hand in Hand Club! See you in September

and have a wonderful summer!

We encourage all students to obtain a Vaughan and/or Markham

Public Library card. The Markham and Vaughan Public Librar-

ies give students access to online

databases that are important in pro-

viding information for academic research—an extremely

useful resource throughout their high school career and IT’S

FREE!

REGISTRATION INFORMATION

In accordance with Ministry of Education guidelines, schools will not charge fees for supplies relating to coursework that is

necessary to meet graduation requirements; e.g., French workbooks, Family Studies food labs. The Fees Guidelines allows

schools to charge fees for enhanced materials, i.e. enrichments beyond what is necessary to meet curriculum expectations

such as: certifications; Iron Chef Competition; art kit; cedar wood in construction; and field trips. In classes that charge for

enhancements, you will receive a letter from the teacher detailing what the fee covers. Payment of the enhancement fee is

voluntary.

In addition, fees can be charged for participating in extra-curricular activities such as sports teams, clubs, dances, graduation,

etc. Our School Activity Fee serves to engage students in the broader school community by providing a wide range of

opportunities that occur before school, at lunch and after school. Monies collected will cover or subsidize the cost of various

extra-curricular activities in clubs, teams, sports, and student groups such as the Students’ Council. These groups, events and

activities build school spirit and enrich the learning experience beyond the classroom and the designated subject

curriculum. This is an important element in building and strengthening the sense of community at TSS. With the payment of

the Student Activity Fee, students receive discounts for various events; e.g.,.Semi-formal and Prom.

Parents are advised that students should bring sufficient funds to cover registration fees and physical education

uniforms. Cheques are to be made payable to Thornhill Secondary School. A $20 NSF charge will be added to all

cheques returned to the school. There is also a cash on-line option at

https://yrdsb.schoolcashonline.com/

We cannot accept credit or debit cards. Registration Day will be on Tuesday, August 29th

from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Timetables will be distributed and photos will be taken. Thank you.

STUDENT FEES:

Student Activity Fee

Student Council Activities, Clubs, Speakers, Carnival, Spirit Days, Sports Teams, School

Newspaper, Dances …

$ 45.00

Student Price Card (SPC) for retail discounts at student-price

$ 10.00

School Yearbook . . .Every student is encouraged to purchase a yearbook. $ 40.00

Physical Education Uniform (mandatory)

. . . . shorts only . . . . shirt only

TSS Athletic Attire must be worn by all students enrolled in Physical Education courses

$ 25.00

$ 12.00 $ 14.00

Grade 12 s only—Graduation Package—June 27, 2018

includes cap, gown, 4 tickets, refreshments, decorations, venue and printing costs

Grad portrait sitting fee payable to Lifetouch at time of sitting

$ 75.00

Student Agenda Planner (optional) $ 5.00

TIME FOR A BRAIN BREAK

In support of our students’ mental health and well-being, our Library now offers activities t o give our youth a break from the academic rigours of the day. Students have had a lot of fun completing Sudoku Puzzles, Crosswords, Mazes, Colouring, Jigsaw Puzzles and the VERY POPULAR Peg Solitaire. Look for new additions this fall!

SCHOOL TIMETABLE

PERIOD 1 8:35 9:50

OPENING EXERCISES 9:50 9:55

PERIOD 2 10:00 11:15

PERIOD 3 11:20 12:35

PERIOD 4 12:40 1:55

PERIOD 5 2:00 3:15

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM 1 3:20 4:35

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM 2 4:40 5:55

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SPECIALIST HIGH SKILLS MAJOR (SHSM) PROGRAM

On Friday, May 26, 2017 – Grade 11 SHSM Health & Wellness students from across the Board participated in the TD Discovery Days workshop at McMaster University. SHSM students explored a variety of career options in medicine and the health sciences by listening to a dynamic keynote lecture, participating in interactive workshops and a career panel discussion. Students gained a clearer picture of what it would be like to be a health professional by interacting with researchers, clinicians and educators in their real-life work setting. All of the workshops were hands on and interactive and ranged from measuring vital signs in the simulation nursing laboratory, DNA Gel Electrophoresis and Analysis – CSI in action to Orthopaedic surgery and casting.

“Amazing experience – fascinating and realistic insight on future career pathways along with a strong reinforcement of life skills” (Grade 11 Health & Wellness SHSM student).

Students at TSS can participate in a SHSM program in Health & Wellness or Sports & Entertainment Marketing. For more information on the SHSM programs available at TSS – please visit the Guidance Office or the Ministry website: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/morestudentsuccess/SHSM.html Students currently in Grade 10 and who would like to apply to the SHSM program in one of the two available sectors, please fill in the online application using your yrdsb gapps account: bit.ly/YRDSBSHSMapp

Message from our Trustee

As we near the end of the school year, I want to thank you for all that you do to strengthen our schools and communities. This is a good time to celebrate your child’s achievements over the past year.

One of our goals in the Trustees’ Multi-Year Plan is to “continuously increase student achievement and well-being through a culture and caring and learning.” That includes a culture that emphasizes engagement and positive relationships among all the members of the school community – students, staff members, families and community members.

You, as parents/guardians, are our most important partners when it comes to education. The support you have provided to your child throughout this past school year will help to strengthen our schools and make a difference to your child’s learning.

I encourage you to continue engaging your child in learning throughout the summer, and to help them to see the connections between what they are learning in school and the world around them. There are so many opportunities to

do this over the summer, whether that’s planning a budget with your child, enjoying the natural beauty in York Region, reading a book or visiting local sites. Whatever your plans are this summer, I wish you all a successful end to the school year, and a safe and enjoyable summer.

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News from the Moderns Department

This past semester, our Grade 11 and 12 students participated in a successful experiential learning opportunity.

In March, Madame Cassata’s grade 11 and 12 French students viewed the award-winning French film, Les Intouchables at the TIFF building downtown, and then enjoyed a delicious multicultural cuisine at the Marché Restaurant.

Our Thornhill French Society is planning on continuing its activities next year, with more great ideas and fun, French learning opportunities. Stay tuned and join our club in September. At the end of June we will say “au revoir” to Madame Tsatsos, who will be moving on to lead the Modern Languages department at Bur Oak Secondary School in September. Merci Madame for your leadership and enthusiasm this year. We look forward to welcoming our new Department Head, Madame Leatham, in the fall. She comes to us from a position as a YRDSB Digital Literacy Resource Teacher, and brings with her a tech-savvy prowess that is sure to lead the Moderns Department into the digital age! Have a wonderful summer!

Thank you to staff and students for another great year of reading and learning in our Library. Students continue to build their research skills by using YRDSB and Thornhill Databases to collect credible sources to include in their projects. We have focussed on note-taking skills using a version of the “Cornell Notes” Style which allows students to show their thinking while distilling key points in what they read. We look forward to continuing our work on the Inquiry Process next year. To commemorate Canada’s 150th Birthday, the Library hosted “National Canadian Film Day”, which included a screening of the Canadian film “Breakaway” and participation in an online Q&A with the actors and director. It was amazing to take part in this celebration with schools from across the country.

Hooked on Books - Thornhill’s student-led book club

Get Reading! Here is our book list for next year - read ahead and then join us at our meetings for conversations and snacks. 1. This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel (October) 2. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe (November) 3. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Septys (December) 4. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (February) 5. Holding up the Universe by Jennifer Niven (March) 6. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt (April)

The history department would like to wish everyone a safe and happy summer. We

close the year with a memorable trip to France to celebrate the 100th anniversary of

the battle of Vimy Ridge. Canadians students from across Canada (including 7 from

Thornhill Secondary School) were joined by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other

dignitaries to mark the enduring legacy of Vimy exactly 100 years to the day. Students

at Thornhill also took part in celebrating the 150th anniversary of the birth of our

nation. Celebrations included an art contest, concerts and food. We look forward to a

new school year in September and wish everyone a wonderful summer.

Thornhill Athletic Council The Thornhill Athletic Council has had another great year, thanks to the amazing athletes that participated in our sports teams, as

well as the success of the Athletic Banquet and the efforts of the executive team that made it all happen!

This year, our tigers have absolutely crushed the school spirit charts! With countless students participating in our dodgeball and arm

wrestling intramurals, first annual Easter egg scavenger hunt, and on the sidelines of our home games, this year will be remembered

for many to come. Students have also enjoyed unwinding with a free cup of herbal tea in the midst of the cold exam season, sending

Hershey’s Hugs & Kisses to friends on Valentine’s Day, and purchasing vintage pieces of TSS history at our Thrift Shop booth

during Spirit Week. For Fitspirit, 22 girls ran 5km at Downsview Park with 3300 other girls from elementary and high schools from

all over Ontario. TAC looks forward to continuing traditions old and new in the next year, and we thank all the staff and students who

continue to shine at all our events!

The Athletic Council would also like to extend their thanks to all who participated in athletics and intramurals this year. A special

thank you to all our coaches who gave students the opportunity to participate in spring sports. This year we were pleased to offer six

spring sports! We had many successes throughout the year and would like to recognize some outstanding accomplishments.

Katherine Yampolsky and Bianca Ciobanu represented Thornhill at OFSAA in the Doubles Open Division. Congratulations ladies!

Grace Hu won Silver in the Junior Girls Badminton Singles Division and the team of Emily Louie and Melissa Wen won Bronze in

the Girls Badminton Doubles Division. Great work! In additional, two students represented Thornhill at OFSAA in Track and Field,

Robin Clark placed 5th in the Senior Girls High Jump and Justin Kim placed 3rd in the Junior Boys High Jump. For Mountain Biking,

Sam Salmanovitch represented Thornhill at the York Region Championships, placing second. Congratulations and well done! We

have plenty to look forward to from our young athletes!

We would like to recognize the following students for being selected as Most Valuable Player for their sport. These student-athletes

were formally recognized at this year's Athletic Banquet.

Golf: Marc Showman & Liam Fischer

Tennis: Katherine Yampolsky

Girls Field Hockey: Lexus Deschamps & Tammy Guo

Cross Country: Ryan Hoffman

Junior Boys Soccer: Mat Vujanic

Senior Boys Soccer: Josh Bonderevsky & Miro Miketic

Girls Basketball: Liron Jeger

Swimming: Yoav Arbiv & Jiale Xie

Varsity Boys Basketball: Daniel Tsipris

Junior Girls Volleyball: Aysan Baghani

Senior Girls Volleyball: Natalie Chui

Junior Badminton – Grace Wu & Jonathan Sumabat

Track and Field: Robin Clarke & Justin Kim

Varsity Boys Baseball: Brandon Harris

Varsity Girls Soccer: Karen Zelkowicz

Varsity Ultimate Frisbee: Phillip Wu & Tami Schoijett

Girls Slo-Pitch: Maddie Fischer

Mountain Biking: Daria Yampolsky & Sam Salmanovitch

This year's Athletic Banquet was another huge success with over 120 athletes and coaches attending. The semi-formal affair was a

sight to behold, at the Destiny Banquet Hall. The athletes paid tribute to their coaches in a "Thank you" video montage which was

both touching and entertaining.

We would also like to acknowledge and congratulate our special award winner recipients, some of whom will be leaving us for

bigger and better things.

Sommerville Award: An award for outstanding athletic development and achievement by a male & female athlete

Talia Niss and Liam Fischer

Johnny Huynh Award: Outstanding service to school athletics by a male

Christopher Mohan

Ruth Hansford Award: Outstanding service to school athletics by a female.

Jacey Chou

D. Foley Award: Outstanding athletic achievement by a male

Sam Salmanovitch

T.A.C. Award: Outstanding athletic achievement by a female

Robin Clarke

TAC President’s Awards: A presentation to the outgoing presidents of the Thornhill Athletic Council

Nikol Kamenetsky

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We would also like to thank the outgoing Council Executive for their hard work this year and to

all the council members for their time and commitment. A special THANK YOU to the many

executives who will be graduating from Thornhill. We would like to say a special thank you for

your many years of service to Thornhill Athletics. You will be greatly missed!!

We would also like to welcome next year’s council which is already hard at work planning for

Thornhill's 14th Annual Terry Fox Walk/Run which will take place in September and the Grade 9

Orientation Day.

Welcome to the 2017 - 2018 Council Executives:

President: Rainey Guo

Co-Vice President: Emily Louie & Jessica Yang

Treasurer: Christopher Mohan & Amy Bagrin

Publicity: Grace Wu & Zihe Zhang

Fundraising: Melissa Wen & Vivian Liu

Games Setup: Victoria Li, Nathan Bergman & Candice Tam

Photography: Bob Pang & Isabell Pitigoi

Athletic Designates: Richard Liu & Daniel Tham

Athletic Reporters: Teresa Tan & Raymond Zhang

HEAL: Melina Ghasemasad & Janice Baek

TSS Science Department News June 2017:

Science Olympics: On May 3rd, twenty TSS students competed in the YRDSB Science Olympics. Student

teams worked collaboratively to solve challenges in Physics, Biology and Chemistry and this year’s theme

was Fun and Games. Thank you to our Junior and Senior Teams for representing the school and to Ms. E.

Taylor and Mr. Salavati for organizing the teams.

University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) Engineering Visit: UOIT Engineering students

visited TSS in May to give an Introduction to Engineering presentation to Grade 9 Science students.

Students designed circuits using a breadboard, wires, LEDs and resistors and also completed a “Pitch Black”

simulation as electrical engineers at Hydro One who were dealing with a blackout.

Reptilia: Reptilia made another exciting visit to TSS with a

presentation featuring an assortment of live creatures. TSS staff and

Grade 9 Science students had an opportunity to see and even touch a

variety of critters! The library staff were especially grateful that no

snakes or tarantulas were left behind! Thanks to Mr. Salavati for

organizing this fun visit.

Science After School Tutoring Club: New this year, this club operated every Wednesday from 3:20 to 4:30

pm. Students were able to drop by Room 124 for peer Science Tutoring. Thank you to our student volunteers

and Mr. Salavati for making this club so successful.

Science Contests:

Congratulations to Sebastian Ouslis for placing 94th in Canada out of 4253 participants in the University of

Waterloo Avogadro Chemistry Contest. For his achievement, he receives an Outstanding Achievement

Elemental Tile and a Certificate of Distinction. Congratulations also to Aamer Akhand, Justin Cai, Alison

Ding, Tal Levit, and Chris Mohan who all placed above the 80th percentile. Each will receive a Certificate

of Distinction. Thanks to all who wrote – we hope that you will all participate in the Grade 12 Chemistry

Contest next year.

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From the University of Waterloo International Grade 12

Chemistry Contest, congratulations go out to the following

students for their outstanding results: Jiaxin Dai who placed

2nd in Markham and 18th in Canada out of 2171 participants;

Alvin Lee who placed 7th in Markham and 176th in Canada.

They both earned Outstanding Achievement Elemental Tiles

and Certificates of Distinction. As well, congratulations to

Ron Alesker who placed 12th in Markham and earns a

Certificate of Distinction. The Science Department is always

proud of students who take advantage of these opportunities to challenge themselves. Way to Go!

The University of Waterloo Sir Isaac Newton Physics Contest took place on Thursday May 4th. Mr.

Moscaritolo and a large group of students worked hard in after-school sessions to prepare for this

competition and a number of students had outstanding results. Individual results are available from Mr.

Moscaritolo.

The U of T National Biology

Competition took place on

Thursday April 27th.

Congratulations to Sarah Ravoth

who was the top TSS student,

scoring at the 92nd percentile. Rounding out the top 4 were Isabell Pitigoi, Xueji Zhao

and Luciana Yu.

Field Trips: Grade 11 Biology students had a fun visit to Ripley's Aquarium. Thanks to Ms. McDonald, Ms.

Thom and Ms. Kozlowska for organizing this trip.

Way to Glow! Grade 12 Biology students visited the Ontario Science Centre to learn about bacterial

transformation. Students completed a lab activity to insert the a GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein) gene

obtained from the bioluminescent jellyfish Aequorea victoria, into the bacterium Escherichia coli.

Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) Trip to YMCA Cedar Glen: On May 12th, thirty SHSM students as

well as Mr. Body and Ms. Alexander visited YMCA Cedar Glen in Schomberg. Students completed elective

certifications in Leadership & Conflict Resolution. Students learned about different leadership styles and

had fun with a low ropes activity outdoors.

The end of the school year brings time to say goodbye to some.

Congratulations to Ms. Thom who is retiring after many years at TSS. We thank her for her

contribution over the years.

The Science Department would also like to thank Mr. Havelock for his many efforts this year and wish

him well in his new school.

Thanks and best wishes also to Ms. McDonald who is on leave next year.

Science Rules!

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Geography Department “You, too, can see the world differently”

National Geographic Society Hello Geographers! We have come to the close of another exciting yet busy school year. The following highlights some of our recent explorations. Grade 9 Geographers have been discussing key industry and resource management issues ranging from the bottled water industry to hydraulic fracturing to the Alberta oil sands as well as the impacts of climate change on the Canadian Arctic. Students had the opportunity to learn about alternative energy options, Canada’s population, and the challenges and opportunities of our growing cities. City of Markham urban planners shared their expertise as students took on role of “urban planners” as they problem-solved how to re-design their local community to be more livable and sustainable. Students in the Grade 11 Travel and Tourism course kept busy “virtually” exploring emerging destinations in Southeast Asia and “someday” destinations in Australia and New Zealand. They also examined future tourism trends such as the role of the “youth traveler” and discussed the impacts that recent events may have on the global tourism industry. Students gained firsthand knowledge of how Billy Bishop airport works and possible jobs in this industry sector followed by visiting popular destinations like the Distillery District and St. Lawrence Market on their Great Tour of Toronto field trip. The students finished the course by planning their own backpacking trip. Bon Voyage!

Summer travel plans? Did you know that in celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday, entrance to

National Parks is free? Ask our student Geographers about which parks to visit, where to go in Canada, or what to “see and do” right here in Toronto!

We wish all our students and their families a wonderful, safe and restful summer!

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Family Studies Department

What an amazing semester we’ve had in the Family Studies Department! Congratulations to the Gr. 11 Food and Culture and the Gr. 10 Food and Nutrition classes for an amazing job on their Iron Chef and Cutthroat Kitchen Cooking Competitions. The students did a fantastic job with their cooking creations. They should all be proud of themselves for their accomplishments! Gr. 12 Nutrition and Health put their culinary skills to the challenge cooking for their nutrient deficiency culminating assignments. The Gr. 9 Exploring Family Studies made their own pajama pants and became professional sewers. The grade 9’s created a weekly meal plan based on a family’s need and budget, and even got to make a few dishes. They looked and tasted great!! Gr. 11 Working with Infants and Young Children students organized an in-school daycare for 10 children aged 1 ½ -7 years of age. They did an amazing job of putting together activities for the children that promoted various types of development. The children had a great time and were exhausted by the end of the day! It is very likely that the students were exhausted as well! A job well done!!

Looking forward to seeing everyone in September!

Have a great summer!

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The Cooperative Education Department would like to congratulate the students on a successful semester and thank the community supervisors who have supported and given the students a great opportunity to integrate classroom theory with practical experience. Students have had experiences in a variety of work environments such as, education, medical, film, auto, culinary, fashion and retail. They have developed workplace skills, and are more prepared to make career decisions. Here are some of their reflections on

what they gained from their co-op experience:

“Co-op has improved my ability to step out of my comfort zone and prepare me for new work/school environments”

“Co-op has shown me a glimpse into the life of being a kindergarten teacher, and has opened my mind up to so many different pathways”

“The biggest change in me is that I am much more responsible because of the co-op program”

“Being able to interact with so many amazing people and listening to their stories regarding educational pathways to medical school has inspired me to continue in this path”

“Taking co-op has re-assured me that becoming a mechanic is definitely something I could do. I would take co-op again!”

“My favourite experience was learning how to set up and use a tattoo machine and being able to tattoo fake skin”

“I gained self-advocacy through my co-op. I learned to ask questions to fully understand the tasks given to me”

“Co-op helped me pick my career path and post secondary planning since it gave me the opportunity to get sponsored and start my apprenticeship as an automotive service technician”

Although I learned about how to effectively communicate in my classes through group work and presentations, I never truly understood the real-life applications until I started co-op”

Congratulations to all the students in the High Performance Athlete Program! Another successful competition season occurred for many of you. We wish you great success in upcoming competitions throughout the summer The Co-op Department would like to expand the list of placement opportunities for our students! If you are interested in investing in the future of our students by having a co-op student at your work place, please call Ms. Patterson at 905-889-5453 ext.316 or at heather.patterson@yrdsb.ca

ECO-CERTIFIED – GOLD!

Thornhill Secondary School has been re-certified at “Gold” status. We are thrilled by the continuing

investment in environmental issues that this represents, on the part of students, staff and the

community. Aligned with the YRDSB, our school believes that all learners, leaders and community

members have a shared responsibility for minimizing their impact on the environment and for

playing an active role in protecting it. Thanks to the Eco-Team for their leadership. Congratulations

to one and all!

The Guidance Department

TSS Students check out these useful websites over the summer and get a jump start on Post-Secondary Planning:

The Summer is a great time to work on your 40 hours of Community Involvement needed for Graduation….

2017 YRDSB Secondary Summer School Acceleration 4 Week Program

YRDSB students register online using Career Cruising from April 3 until June 29.

Dates: July 5th to 28th

Times: 8:45 am to 3:33 pm

For more information, please visit www.yrdsb.ca

2017 YRDSB Secondary Summer School Reinforcement / Credit Recovery

YRDSB students register online using Career Cruising until June 29. Session 1 Dates: July 5th to 17th

Session 2 Dates: July 18th to 28th

Times: 8:45 am to 3:33 pm

For more information, please visit www.yrdsb.ca

University: www.electronicinfo.ca

www.ouac.on.ca

www.ouf.ca

www.ncaa.org (US) www.schoolfinder.com

www.commonapp.org (US) College: www.ontariocolleges.ca

Apprenticeship: www.skillsontario.com

www.apprenticetrades.ca

Student Awards/Financial Assistance: www.osap.gov.on.ca

https://yconic.com/ Careers/Jobs/Training: www.careercruising.com

www.youth.gc.ca

www.workingincanada.gc.ca

Student Support Services: www.neads.ca

York Region District School Board: www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/guidance

www.thornhill.ss.yrdsb.edu.on.ca (guidance dept.)

All secondary school students must complete 40 hours of community involvement as part of their graduation requirements. Steps for completing your Community Involvement: Review which community involvement activities are considered eligible and ineligible. Refer to the reverse side of the

Notification and Completion of Community Involvement Activities form, or visit YRDSB Community Involvement

Information.

Search for volunteer activities that meet the criteria on the eligible list. Complete the Notification and Completion of Community Involvement Activities form for PRE-APPROVAL.

PRE-APPROVAL can be completed by the Thornhill Secondary School’s main office during the summer months.

Complete your volunteer placement. Submit the completed form to Thornhill Secondary School’s Guidance Secretary in September

PAGE 16 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1 TSS PAW PRINTS

Timetable Change Requests September 2017: Course change requests can be made by completing a “Course Change Request” form available in Guidance from Tuesday September 5th to Wednesday September 13th. Complete ONE application form only and return it to the Guidance Office with a parent/guardian signature. Please be aware of the following: Requests to “move” a scheduled course already on the timetable to another period cannot be done. Continue to follow your existing timetable until you receive a new timetable (if change is possible). You must maintain full time student status. (If you have 24 credits or more, you must be enrolled in a minimum of 3 courses per semester.) It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that he/she has successfully completed prerequisite courses and to make up work missed due to a late entry into class.

Graduating TSS Students: Admission Information Service (AIS) is available! What is AIS? AIS is a service that allows applicants to determine which universities may have places remaining in specific programs. Who is this for? Ontario high school students applying to an Ontario university who have not received an offer of admission. When is it available? June 7 - August 25, 2017 Is there a cost? There is no fee if the student changes programs at the same university. If they choose a new university, they will be charged the regular $50 per program application fee. Requirements: Students must have completed the OSSD (or equivalent), including six 4U/M courses, by early September 2017. Students must have an average of at least 60%, although higher averages are usually required. To find out more, call 519-823-1063 or email 101sup@ouac.on.ca.

Community Resources

The following resources are available to support members of our school community:

www.brotalk.ca BroTalk (1-866-393-5933) offers telephone and online counselling service for young men. BroTalk is a service of Kids Help Phone.

PAGE 17 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1 TSS PAW PRINTS

English Department:

The English Department would like to extend its sincerest congratulations to the TSS students committed to

their English curriculum learning this school year. We hope that you take pride in the reading, writing, oral

communication and critical literacies you have developed over the course of the semester and year. We, as a

department, are so proud of you! These skills will undoubtedly benefit you in vast areas of studies and

experiences you pursue.

*****

For the summer, consider reading a book just for enjoyment! Try keeping a diary or a journal to channel your

thoughts into reflection. Considering taking your parents, families, and friends to view a film based on a

classic novel! Why not use your literature capacity to facilitate mental health and wellness? Also, consider

taking Presentation and Speaking Skills next year (EPS3O) if this sounds appealing to you.

Grade 11 students in the Speaking and Presentations Skills Course were pushed out of their comfort zones on

multiple occasions when they were asked to prepare, rehearse and present a variety of presentations

throughout the Semester. There were certainly highs and lows on this learning roller-coaster but the final

Culminating Presentation was something for everyone to smile about. With the English Department’s

commitment to student Health and Wellness in mind, students in EPS3O were asked to explore one of three

books written by Anna Barnes: How to be Happy, How to be Mindful and especially fitting for end of the

year, How to be Calm. Our enthusiastic expert groups then proceeded to teach the class some valuable

lessons and strategies through an educational and inspiring slide show presentation, complete with video

clips and an interactive group activity. What better way to head into exam week than lessons on deep

breathing, the benefits of laughter or connecting with nature?

RE-CAF the CAF IS

UNDER

CONSTRUCTION!

Exciting times await

you!

TSS EQUITY TEAM

PAGE 18 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1 TSS PAW PRINTS

Physical and Health Education The semester has come to an end but not without plenty of hard work and many successes. Congratulations to all who completed the second round of fitness testing and who achieved or exceeded their fitness goals. Many worked hard to try and have their achievements go down in the record books. Congratulations to Katie Massue-Monat who broke a long standing Standing Long Jump record with a new jump of 2.40m!! Grade 9 Amy Bagrin also broke an original record in the Standard Push Ups with 35! Great job ladies. We hope you all continue to be active and healthy throughout the summer. The grade 10 Personal Fitness students visited the Loblaws Cooking School and delighted their taste buds with a meal they prepared and cooked themselves. The avocado brownies were a tasty surprise, and the egg breakfast was full of protein and veggies. Semester two also saw the return of Jonestown Martial Arts for all grade 9 students. Coach Dani and Coach Adam worked the students through a week of holds, releases and

grappling to enhance their confidence in emergency situations. The Grade 12 Recreation and Healthy Active Living Leadership students had an event packed semester. They led a fitness circuit for the grade 11s, hosted lunchtime intramurals, spirit and healthy eating events and spent a month in a class of their choice mentoring students. It was great to see their leadership skills develop and their confidence increase. Good luck to these graduates as they take their skills into the next chapter of their lives. “I’m thankful for my struggle, because without it I wouldn’t have stumbled across my strength.” Alex Elle We wish everyone a safe and restful summer,

Thank you to the many students who demonstrate character on a daily basis at T.S.S.

“The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education”

- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Character Matters

The Board believes that the development of good character is a shared responsibility of students, staff,

families and the extended community. When all members of society embrace opportunities to model,

teach, promote and celebrate good character, we build and strengthen learning and working

communities that are caring, safe, respectful and inclusive. Below you will find the traits we are

honouring and will continue to honour in the coming school years:

honestyintegrityperseverancerespectempathyresponsibilityoptimismcouragefairnessinitiative

September Jason Jang

October Chester Ho

November Alysa Encamacion

December Kody Klupt

January Grace Yang

February Stacy Cernova

March Ryan Krupat

April Ameen Nabavi

May Alexa Cherniak

June Michelle Saltoun

PAGE 19 VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1 TSS PAW PRINTS

STUDENT(S) OF THE MONTH We are pleased to acknowledge the following

students for their outstanding demonstration

of character:

We congratulate these and other students

who model exemplary character on a daily

basis.

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1 TSS PAW PRINTS PAGE 20