2524 Bromsgrove Road, Mississauga, Ontario L5J 1L8 April 2014 P 905-822-6700 F 905-822-6896 www.clarksonss.ca

In this IssuePrincipal's MessageArts, Math 3Languages 4Health and Physical Ed. 6Science, Social Sciences 7Student Services 8International Program 8School News 9-19

April 22Sem. 2 Mid-Term Report Cards

April 24Parents’ Night (All Grades)

April 28-May 2Cancer Drive Week

May 5- 9Mental Health Awareness Week

May 14Early Release Day

May 19Victoria Day

May 26Bike to School Day

May 29Principal’s Reception

June 3Locker Clean Out/Textbook Check Day

June 11-13EQAO Math

June 17Last Day of Classes

June 18-24Final Assessments

June 26Commencement

CLARKSON S.S. TIMETABLE

Announcements 8:00 – 8:05 Period One 8:00 – 9:20Period Two 9:23 – 10:38Period Three 11:58 – 1:11Period Four 1:14 – 2:29

BE IN CLASS ON TIME!

The Clarkson Community Newsletter The Clarkson Community Newsletter

@clarksoncharger

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All students who are registered in a Semester 2 Grade 9 Academic or Applied Math class will be writing the EQAO test in their classes on June 11 and 12. The EQAO test will be marked by the teacher and is equivalent to 5% of the final grade. Students are encouraged to practice working on past EQAO Math papers. These papers can be downloaded and printed from the official EQAO website.

 

Library The library is thriving! We continue to offer workshops to students to enable them to use our technology to access all of the resources our awesome library offers. We have 32 new computers, electronic books, tablets and other resources for our students and staff members. Yet in these highly technological times, we encourage students to use our books, magazines, and other print

I have always imagined that paradise will be a kind of library.-Jorge Luis Borges

We create displays to market our collection: award-winning books, graphic novels, top 100 teen reads, books in the news, student and staff recommendations, authors A-Z.

This month, we have a display outside the library of inspirational quotations about books and reading to

We have recently purchased 200 new books which we will display at the front of the library.

Our students sign books out every day. Our students come into the library at lunch to read a magazine or the newspaper. Out students are reading! Our library rocks!

ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS, PARENTS/GUARDIANS:AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE ABOUT EQAO GRADE 9 ASSESSMENT OF MATHEMATICS, JUNE 11-12,

Climate Survey – We want to hear from you!

As our partner in education, we are inviting you to complete an online survey to tell us what you think about your child's school. It is very important that we hear from all families. The survey can be found at the following link:https://www.sspsurveyhub.ca/yvc/parent/

Students and staff are also participating. The survey results will be used to help us best meet the needs of all our students and school community, and to guide our

If you have more than one child at this school, please answer the questions with one of your children in mind. The survey is anonymous.

It only takes a few minutes but your feedback is extremely valuable to us. Please contact the school if you have and questions, concerns or difficulties. In order to complete the survey, you will need your child’s Student Identification or OEN (Ontario Education Number).

The Clarkson Community Newsletter April 2014

P.A.G.E.S. Essay RescueSenior English students will continue to assist other students every Monday and Wednesday in Room 122 from 11:15 a.m. to 11:55 a.m. Students in need of editing, proofreading and organizing assistance should plan to take advantage of this service to improve their writing and analytical skills.

The Clarkson Community Newsletter

Arts DepartmentDrama students have been busy

this semester learning new skills and developing their talent. Grade 9 and International students

have explored how to communicate story through

still images or tableaux and are now preparing mime

scripts for performance. Grade 10 students have worked on developing their leadership skills and are currently working on acting skills while preparing short scripts for performance. Senior drama classes have been focusing on developing character and preparing scenes for presentation; while the grade 12 students have been exploring Greek Theatre and Oedipus Rex. Keep up the great work, everyone and remember to continue taking those creative risks!

Thank you to all the family and friends who came out to support our dramatic efforts at the Sears Ontario Drama Festival in February. Kudos to the cast of, Interviews with Loneliness, Lilian Laferriere, Bryanna Edwards and Julia Mustafa. The adjudicator was greatly impressed by our students' ensemble performance. Thanks to Zach Goodman and Ace Parent for their technical assistance and to Jaclyn Morse,

Jordan Chakravarty and Taylor Templeton-Smith for their excellent stage management. Well-done, everyone!

MathematicsCongratulations to all of our students who signed up to write the various Mathematics contests during this academic year. We take this opportunity to recognize the following students for their performances in the Pascal, Cayley and Fermat contests. Medals are given to the school’s top students for each contest. Certificates of Distinction are presented to students ranked in the top twenty-five percent of contestants in their respective contests.

Pascal (Grade 9) School Champion Medal: Qisheng XiaCertificate of Distinction: Qisheng Xia and Naomi Fraser

Cayley (Grade 10) School Champions Medal: Mohammed ZamanCertificate of Distinction: Mohammed Zaman

Fermat (Grade 11)School Champion Medal: Wentao Xu Certificate of Distinction: Wentao Xu and Della Giguere

On April 15th and 16th, 21 of our students wrote the Euclid, Fryer, Galois or Hypatia contests.

At this time, students have completed about half of the material required to meet course expectations in Mathematics. We encourage parents and students to review the mid-term report card and pay attention to the learning skills and teacher comments. Students in grades 9, 10 and 11 who need additional help in Math are invited to drop by room 239 on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 11:15 a.m. and 11:50 a.m. with their questions. Students are reminded not to wait until the day

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The Clarkson Community Newsletter April 2014

The Clarkson Community Newsletter

before an evaluation to get extra help. This should be done as soon as the need arises.

In addition, students who would like to upgrade their knowledge and marks in mathematics may consider attending summer school and are encouraged to visit their guidance counsellors to sign up for classes.

Mathematics is all around us …….

Linear Relations Quadratic Relations (grade 9) (grade 10)

Exponential Relations Sinusoidal

Functions (grade 11) (grade 12)

Languages Department The Languages Department

has spring fever! Students have been working hard improving their language skills, and hard work has its

rewards. 

Language fun and field trips

On February 14th, all language classes celebrated Clarkson's Language Day with culture, quizzes and competition! Yummy prizes were enjoyed by the savviest students and teachers! We look forward to having even more fun in our language classes in 2014-2015!

On April 11th, Cercle d'amis had a cultural food party with their fondue au chocolat. On April 23rd, select French Immersion and French Core students will have a food-filled day of fun as they enjoy authentic French cuisine at Le Papillon restaurant in Toronto, followed by a chasse au trésor in St. Lawrence Market. Bon appétit!

In May, grade 10 students studying Spanish will be making piñatas. ¡Qué divertido! The grade 12 class will be testing out their cooking skills by making authentic Hispanic cuisine with Señora Loutrianakis. Also in May, Cercle d'amis will test their culinary skills preparing French cuisine with Mme Smiley.

On May 16th, grade 9 students studying French will attend Clarkson’s very own Café Français. Students view a French film while enjoying hot and tasty crêpes made by their teachers. Délicieux!

Let’s not forget that little field trip to Europe between April 11th-22nd! Senior students (along with French teachers, Mme Gerulath and Mme Héneault) will have the opportunity of a lifetime to experience French and Belgian culture and practice their language skills during our eleven-day trip to the continent. La grande aventure nous attend!

Contest News

On March 20th, 4 Clarkson students participated in the Concours d'art oratoire, a French public speaking competition at the regional level held at the Peel District School Board under the supervision of Mme Villegas-Kerlinger. This year, we had four Chargers who did an exceptional job of representing Clarkson: Arielle Lynn, Kathryne Boreham, Dylan Matthews and Ayman Lyaghfouri. Thank you to all the

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The Clarkson Community Newsletter April 2014

The Clarkson Community Newsletter

participants for the time you invested in preparing your insightful speeches. Also, good luck to Arielle as she moves on to the Provincial competition in May at Glendon - York University Campus.

On April 4th, Kathryne Boreham, Tianna Damario and Jazzmine Kosmal completed the online portion of the Glendon French Contest. We eagerly await the results as we hope to bring back the trophy to Clarkson's French Program for a third year in a row! Bonne chance!

On May 7th, senior Spanish students will be competing in the Ontario Secondary Schools Spanish Contest at Glendon – York University Campus. ¡Buena suerte a todos los concursantes!

Extra Help

French Senior Scholars wants to help you get that “A”!  Senior students studying French are available to tutor students who are in need of extra help. Students can focus on a variety of areas such as improving grammar, writing skills, pronunciation and reading comprehension skills.  They are available every Tuesday and Thursday in room 217, from 11:20 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.

Many thanks to Queens University teacher candidate, Nadia Leiningen, who recently completed a four-week practicum with Mme Gerulath and Mme Smiley. We wish her well in her future teaching career.

Merci! ¡Gracias!

Health and Physical EducationSpring athletics are in full swing at Clarkson. After weeks of practice, our badminton team participated in the ROPSSAA southwest qualifier at Lorne Park S.S. on April 2nd. The cricket team opened

their season at Stephen Lewis on April 1st. Their first home game is scheduled for April 15th against Meadowvale. All of the outdoor teams have started training indoors and are eagerly awaiting warmer and dryer weather, so practice and games can move outdoors. The senior girls’ soccer team starts its season against Meadowvale S.S. on April 28th at Iceland Sports Fields. The girls’ first home game is on May 5th against Rick Hansen S.S. The boys’ soccer team also plays its first home game on May 5th against Rick Hansen S.S. Both the girls’ slo-pitch and boys’ baseball teams start their seasons in early May. The track and field team has several meets planned throughout April and May with the ROPSSAA Championships scheduled on May 22-23.Clarkson athletics will be highlighted again this year at our athletic banquet. It is scheduled for May 28th and will feature a dinner, slideshow, awards and a dance. Tickets will be on sale the week following Cancer Drive. Purchase them early to avoid disappointment.

Clarkson Swim TeamThe Clarkson swim team had an incredible season winning the overall ROPSSA

championship against over 30 teams from both the Catholic and Public schools in the Peel region. Clarkson had swimmers

make finals in over half of the individual events (28) and won medals in 22 of these events as follows: 8 gold medals, 9 silver medals and 5 bronze medals. Top individual results were:JUNIOR:ROPSSAA gold in 3 individual events in Junior Boys Liam CherrySilver in Junior Girls Breaststroke Olivia Marshall

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The Clarkson Community Newsletter April 2014

The Clarkson Community Newsletter

Silver in Junior Girls 50 metres Freestyle Adrianna WardJunior Girls RelaysGold in 200 metres Freestyle Relay Mikaela Bredin Rachel De Sousa Olivia Marshall Jordyn Morvan

Bronze in 200 metres Individual Medley Relay Rachel DeSousa Arielle Lynn Olivia Marshall Jordyn Morvan

Junior Boys Relay 6th place in 200 metres Freestyle Relay∞ Evan Gardiner∞ Zachary Goodman∞ Matthew O’Brien∞ Blake Zazinsky

Placed 7th in Finals ∞ Zachary Goodman

Placed 5th in Finals∞ Evan Gardiner

SENIOR:Silver in Senior Boys Freestyle and Bronze in 100 metres Individual Medley Juan Pablo Contreras

Bronze in the 50 metres Freestyle and 100 metres Breaststroke Rachel Clark

Senior Girls Relay Silver in the 200 metres Freestyle Rachel Clark Rosalyn Glass Adrianna Ward Olivia Ward

5th place in the 200 metres Individual Medley Relay∞ Rosalyn Glass∞ Bridget Hughes∞ Sarah Mooney∞ Hannah PhamOPEN:Gold in 100 metres Breaststroke and Silver in 100 metres Individual Medley Enna Selmanovic

Gold in 100 metres Backstroke and Silver in 100 metres Butterfly Paige Hillis

Bronze in 50 metres Freestyle Pari Baker

Gold in 200 metres Individual Medley Relay Pari Baker Megan Francis Paige Hillis Enna Selmanovic

Bronze in 400 metres Freestyle Relay Gillian Duckett Megan Francis Hannah Pham Alyssia Robertson-Leithwood

PARA-SWIMMING:

Gold in 50 and 100 metres Freestyle Adam Ahrens

OFSSA SWIM CHAMPIONSHIPS:

From the fabulous results at ROPSSA, we had 10 athletes move on to the Ontario Championships where Clarkson athletes continued to shine. While Adam Ahrens was not able to compete due to injury, the other swimmers went on to event finals in 7 out of the 10 events swam – again another commendable achievement against the top swimmers in the province!

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The Clarkson Community Newsletter April 2014

The Clarkson Community Newsletter

Provincial Silver Medalist in Junior Girls 50 metres Breaststroke Olivia Marshall

Provincial Bronze Medalist in Open Girls 100 metres Breaststroke Enna Selmanovic

Provincial Bronze Medalists in Open Girls200 metres Freestyle Relay Pari Baker Megan Francis Paige Hillis Enna Selmanovic

4th in the province in Junior Boys 50 metres Breaststroke∞ Liam Cherry

4th in the province in Open Girls 100 metres Backstroke and 7th in 100 metres Butterfly∞ Paige Hillis

15th in the province in Open Girls 50 metres Freestyle∞ Pari BakerCongratulations to all swimmers for such a great season!!!Nordic Ski Team:

This year’s Nordic Ski team had a great season and many personal bests were achieved by skiers where many were new to the sport and had limited time on snow. We also had a Clarkson athlete who was claimed ROPSSAA champion. So, again Clarkson brought home some hardware! Results are below:

Novice GirlsErica Craig – 1st

Novice BoysTristan Wensley – 2nd

Junior Girls Gold - ROPSSAA Champion -

Alexandra Hudson Silver - Margaret Pham

Senior Girls ∞ Hannah Pham, 11th place

Alexandra, Margaret and Hannah went on to compete at the OFSSA Nordic championships held in Timmins where they all skied great races against many seasoned Nordic skiers from the Northern Ontario communities. Alexandra was the top Peel region skier in the Junior Girls division placing 36th out of 130 skiers.

What a wonderful season with a wonderful group of athletes. Science Department

Grade 10 science students travelled to Ripley's Aquarium on April 5th to explore our underwater world.  Teachers and

students learned all about our Canadian lake fish, as well as some exotic creatures found in our oceans.  They were mesmerized by the sting rays and sharks swimming right over their heads!  Listen up for the grade 11 aquarium trip coming up on May 9th!  Grade 11 chemistry students will attend the Riverwood Conservancy to conduct chemical tests on student-collected water and soil samples, as well as many other hands-on field study activities.  The grade 10 student’s wrapped up their chemistry unit with a summative lab that determined which antacid could best fight gas pains, but costs the least amount of money.  The grade 9 students are busily working on their space research projects. 

Social Sciences and Family Studies Department

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The Clarkson Community Newsletter April 2014

The Clarkson Community Newsletter

The Model UN Club’s 2013/14 season is underway and students are looking forward to a number of Model UN meetings.  Students will be taking an active part and developing their skills in public speaking, debating, networking, negotiating, and drafting working papers and resolutions. They will also be able to gain valuable experience navigating the Toronto subway system during rush hour.  Looking to the future, the Model UN Club should see some growth as we inaugurate the Mock Trial team and combine the two. BHM has come and gone and Clarkson hosted two absolutely phenomenal speakers.  An amazing performance was presented by poet, Truth Is, sharing her poetry with our students in a very personal and emotional way. She was accompanied by her good friend and Guelph Slam Poetry team member, Fannon Holland, who blew the roof off with his passion and his humour. Al St. Louis, an exciting motivational speaker and spoken word poet, was back for a second visit and inspired and motivated the students with his wise words of wisdom! As you read this, students will have just returned from Clarkson’s second and very successful trip to Europe. Students visited the WW1 and WW2 battle field sites and cemeteries in Holland, Belgium and France, toured the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam as well as the Louvre in Paris and spent a day at Versailles. Furthermore, the 2015 trip has been approved and Madame Smiley from Social Sciences and Moderns will be completing registration at the end of April, early May.

Clarkson Family Studies students have had a busy semester so far! We have been involved in launching a new Cafeteria Revolution with a “Guess What’s in the Smoothie” contest in the cafeteria. Students were able to taste healthy smoothies (made with our newly purchased

Vita Mix blender!) and three prizes were awarded to students who had guessed correctly. Students enjoyed these tasty treats so much that they will be making a second appearance during this year’s Cancer Drive—this time with new recipes submitted by our students. Speaking of Cancer Drive, Family Studies will be partaking in various activities throughout that week to help support Camp Ooch. Do it for the kids!

In addition to these fun-filled activities, we will be taking our students on a “Healthy Lifestyle, Healthy Eating” field trip. Our students will take a community walk to our local supermarket and learn about the availability of local food, as well as how to actually “shop sensibly” with budget, health and local farmers in mind. We look forward to the rest of the year!

Student Services DepartmentSummer school applications are now being accepted in the Guidance Office. Those students who failed a course in first semester, need to upgrade a mark, or those students who are struggling presently in a semester 2 compulsory course should enrol in summer school courses. Spots fill very quickly so come down to the guidance office before the end of April to find out summer school locations and courses being offered both at the Peel District and the Dufferin-Peel Catholic School Board and get your applications returned promptly.

Many Grade 12 students who are going off to university or college have started to receive conditional acceptances from post-

secondary institutions. Conditional is an important word!!! Students must maintain the average requested by the university or college in their offer letter. A

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The Clarkson Community Newsletter April 2014

The Clarkson Community Newsletter

majority of Grade 12 students, however, will not hear from universities or colleges until their second semester mid-term marks have been received.... please remain patient and optimistic!! Also, please pay special attention to important dates for acknowledging acceptances, confirming residence and initial payments.

An important note to remember is that Grade 12 students must have their 40 community hours completed and handed in prior to May 31st or they will not be considered graduates!!

Thanks to Gavin May and Katie Thompson for taking the time to visit Hillside P.S. These students have been working with Ms. Maika and our feeder school to help grade 8 students learn how to use the Premier Assistive Technology Reading Program.

International Program The Peel International Academy welcomed a new group of students from overseas, in February . We celebrated Chinese New Year at the start of the semester and are now busy planning Multifest, our multicultural celebration in May. Congratulations to the 30% who made the Honour Roll in Semester One and the very high Math marks achieved by many in the program. 

An Update from theStudent Activity CouncilHello Chargers,

It’s that time of year again! As Clarkson prepares for our annual Cancer Drive, everybody is busy organizing events, saving money and getting into the spirit to help send children with cancer to Camp Ooch. As we reflect on our recent activities the Student Activity Council has hosted, there was a spirit week for March Madness that included PJ day, twin day and hippie

day. We are very excited about a new project we are working on to encourage student-use of our cafeteria during lunch. We are hosting various activities each month that promote healthy food being sold in the cafeteria. We recently had a “Smoothie Taste Test Day” where students tried to guess the ingredients of the delicious and nutritious smoothies. Congratulations to our three winners who were selected in the draw; they received I-Tunes/Cineplex gift cards as a prize. You could too, Chargers - there will be many more prizes to win each month! Things to look forward to are Cancer Drive in April, including SAC’s famous and delicious BBQ, as well as, Spring Fling in May! Enjoy your spring, Chargers!

Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards

Clarkson's Duke of Edinburgh Club congratulates recent Gold Award winner Maya Tomkiewicz. She will receive her pin at the

June Commencement, along with Hannah Pham. These students will receive their certificates from a member of the royal family at a date to be announced. We also congratulate recent Silver Award winner Dylan Matthews and three Bronze Award winners: Margaret Pham, Josh Mott and Victor Stec. Allison Drake and Emily Tadgell have submitted their applications to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Office for evaluation and we look forward to hearing the results. All Duke of Edinburgh Club members are reminded to book an Adventurous Journey (or arrange to do one with your family) before spaces are booked. Check http://www.dukeofed.org/on/expedition-schedule-2014 for some wonderful opportunities

Project Milk BagPage 10

The Clarkson Community Newsletter April 2014

The Clarkson Community Newsletter

Congratulations to Brianne Laverty and Zach Knight who were selected as February Students of the Month for citizenship both in the school and in the wider community. Following their participation in a leadership conference last June, these two senior students were inspired to devise a plan and prepare publicity material to solicit interest by Clarkson students and staff in Project Milk Bag. This Project involves collecting milk bags, then cutting and tying them into strips that can be crocheted into sleeping mats for underprivileged children in Haiti. We all agree that this is a much better use for milk bags than putting them in the garbage where they can take up to 500 years to biodegrade! At first the milk bag trickled slowly into Room 110, but in the last few months there has been a steady "flow" thanks to students, parents and staff. It takes 300 bags to make a mat which keeps underprivileged children in Haiti off mud floors and protects them from bugs and disease. Please continue to SAVE YOUR MILK BAGS and send clean bags to Room 110. We can make a difference!

Me-to-We Knitters A faithful group of knitters

has continued to meet each Tuesday since the beginning of the semester. We are hoping to sell our stash of knitted items (cowls, PED-Pets—

personal electronic device covers—yellow and gold

Charger bracelets and lariats, and knitted cupcakes) to raise money for Camp Ooch. Currently, we are also considering new directions in fibre arts creations, including crocheted coffee cup holders and embroidered t-towels. Our multi-generational club is always looking for community members who would like to knit (off-site) or to donate wool.  If you are

interested, please contact Ms. Pedersen-Brown or Ms. Mark. 

Multi-Cultural ClubClarkson’s Multicultural Club has been formed to bring cultural awareness and develop appreciation of diversity at our school. Club members organize cultural events inside the school involving parents, community members and community organizations. Our Multicultural Club is for anyone who would like to get to know students from other cultures and share information about their own culture, traditions and foods. Our club engages in a variety of activities to promote talents of our diverse school population. This year, our Multicultural pot luck dinner is being held on Friday, May 23rd. Like every year, we are inviting school families and community organizations to come and celebrate the evening with us. The show is all about having as many diverse acts as we can and represent as many cultures as possible. The evening will proudly showcase a variety of talent from our local and international students. The tickets go on sale on Friday, May 11.

Peel Public Schools Celebrate Education Week

Peel public schools will host hundreds of special activities and events to celebrate Education Week 2014, from April 14 to 25. The theme for this year's two week-long focus on education is "We inspire." Each year, more than 50,000 parents and community members across Peel attend activities and events during Education Week. We are looking forward to an equally successful week this year.

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The Clarkson Community Newsletter April 2014

The Clarkson Community Newsletter

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The Clarkson Community Newsletter April 2014

The Clarkson Community Newsletter

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Help your Child Prepare for TestsMany students will become anxious at the thought of writing a test. Anxiety about an upcoming test can affect a child's behaviour, thoughts and actions. Here are some ways you can help minimize anxiety at test time: Organize & Prepare:

Encourage your child not to leave assignments, studying and homework to the last minute.

Schedule time for review and work on assignments each day.

Establish a regular time of the day for homework, studying etc.

Make the home a homework-friendly environment where learning is regular routine.

Remove distractions like the television, stereo, telephone when studying.

Tell your child to make sure tests and due dates are marked in their agenda.

Practice: Encourage your child to think about

what, when, where and how when preparing/completing assignments.

Develop practice tests and help them anticipate questions.

Review previous exercises. When appropriate, encourage your

child to pair up with a friend to review information and brainstorm.

Build learning into family activities— suggest keeping a journal, writing a report or a news article about family events, outings or trips.

Be in the know: Check out the curriculum for your

child’s grade level (available as PDF files at www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum)

Ask your child’s teacher about major topics studied and how these topics

Need help in math? Free tutoring now available online

Math students in grades 7 to 10 can access live, interactive online math help by visiting www.homeworkhelp.ilc.org. Homework Help is free, real-time math tutoring by certified Ontario teachers.

Students can log in from Sunday to Thursday, between 5:30 and 9:30 p.m. for individualized confidential math tutoring. There are discussion rooms for each grade where students can join and see what questions other students are asking, watch the tutors draw on the whiteboard – and ask their own question for on-the-spot help.

Students will also find 24/7 discussion rooms, video lessons and commonly asked questions. Other online math resources include math games and a virtual locker, where students can save their work.

Homework Help is a project funded by the

The Clarkson Community Newsletter April 2014

The Clarkson Community Newsletter

Once again, the most exciting time of the year at Clarkson is just about here: Clarkson's Annual Cancer Drive! The Cancer Drive Executive Team

has been working hard over the last few months to plan another exciting week of fun-filled activities, to raise as much money as possible for Camp Oochigeas, a magical place for kids affected by childhood cancer.

This year, our official kick-off assembly will be held on Thursday, April 24! We will be joined that day by a special guest from Camp Oochigeas and there will be lots of surprises in store! We'll be unveiling our new Cancer Drive logo, beautifully created by one of our students, Neil Maguire. T-shirts and tank tops with the new logo will also be going on sale. At the kick-off assembly, this year's special buyout will be revealed and, at lunch, tickets will go on sale for the buyout  on Tuesday, April 29.

Parents/Guardians, on Thursday, April 24, during Parents’ Night and on Friday, April 25, we will be having a silent auction with all proceeds going to Ooch. Please feel free to bid on these items while you are here on Parents' Night. If you or someone you know owns a business or has connections to get any items that we could use for that silent auction, please drop them off at our school before Thursday, April 24. The calendar for the week's activities will

be posted on the school website. You are encouraged to drop by our school anytime during that week to see Cancer Drive in action: you really won't believe how incredible this event is until you've witnessed it!

The week wraps up with a huge assembly on Friday afternoon, May 2. At that assembly, we will be waxing boys’ legs, cutting ponytails of  both genders for donation to  Angel's Wish, shaving heads and pieing a  teacher or two and all of this is for the kids at Camp Ooch!Parents, in addition to supporting your child’s homeroom activities (perhaps, they may transform your kitchen into a disaster zone or raid your purses and wallets), there are a few other ways you can support this amazing and inspiring effort:

Consider making a donation of $25.00 or more by cheque made out to Camp Oochigeas, and we’ll ensure you get an income tax receipt.

Make a donation of a new or gently used item to our silent auction which will take place on Parents’ Night, Thursday, April 24. If you or someone you know, runs a business and would be willing to donate a gift certificate or other item to auction off, we would be most

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CLARKSON CANCER DRIVE – 2014

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF RAISING FUNDS FOR CANCER-RELATED CHARITIES

The Clarkson Community Newsletter April 2014

The Clarkson Community Newsletter

appreciative. Items can be dropped off in the main office, or you can call Mr. Jim Kinnie at extension 441 for more information.

Drop by on Thursday, April 24, to place a bid on

one or many of our silent auction items. Bidding will close at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, April 25.

This year's goal is $19,000.

AT CLARKSON SECONDARY SCHOOL, WE DO IT FOR THE KIDS!

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School Social Work Services

In support of Children’s Mental Health Week, May 4-10, 2014

Peel District School Board and CMHA Peelare pleased to present

Mental Health:Harnessing the Inner Strengths of

Children and AdultsA discussion on resiliency

Presented by: Tammy Whelen – Canadian Mental Health Association – Peel

Date: Monday, May 5, 2014

Place: H.J.A. Brown Education Centre5650 Hurontario Street, Mississauga, ON

Time: 6:00 – 6:30 p.m. – Community Resource Fair (Atrium)

This is an opportunity to visit displays from a number of community agencies to learn about available supports and services in Peel.

6:00 – 8:00 p.m. – Presentation (Board Room)

Peel Staff: Please Register on My Learning Plan

Parents: Please R.S.V.P. Rowena Kishan at rowena.kishan@peelsb.com

*Please Register Early as Spaces are Limited.*

The week after Cancer Drive ends at Clarkson, we will appropriately move into Mental Health Awareness Week. This is the third year we are running this event at Clarkson, and this year it corresponds with National Mental Health Week. Our theme this year is Be kind to yourself and others.

There will be a variety of activities taking place during that week,  all focusing on achieving and maintaining positive mental health.  We will be selling a variety of buttons encouraging us to be kind to ourselves and others.

The week will begin with homeroom class activities and discussions about what it means to be mentally healthy and the ways in which we can maintain our mental wellness.

On Tuesday, May 6, there will be a cross-panel discussion with various members of the school community sharing their personal experiences with mental health and mental wellness. This will take place in the Theatre at lunchtime.

On Wednesday, May 7, there will be Random Acts of Kindness, and we will also have a therapy dog. Drop by to see him in the Guidance Department.

On Thursday, May 8, various homeroom classes will be participating in activities that encourage mental wellness, including: yoga, Zumba, meditation, walking, reading, art, etc.

All week, we will have a Wall of Acknowledgment in the front foyer celebrating all the wonderful people in each of our lives: what we appreciate about them and what they bring to our lives.

While mental wellness has been a very important focus at Clarkson for a number of years, thankfully, it is now  a Peel District School Board and province-wide initiative.

~~

CLARKSON MENTAL HEALTH WEEKBE KIND TO YOURSELF AND OTHERS: MAY 5 - 9

Parent Monetary Donation: Please consider helping the school this year with a donation. Any amount is welcome and amounts over $25 will be issued a tax receipt from the school board. Please continue to support our school to help make a difference. Our donation form is attached.

Staff Appreciation Day May 6th: Plans are in full swing for Staff Appreciation Day. We have received many donations and are still in need of more to make this day a great success. Let’s show our gratitude for the support and care that Clarkson teachers and staff provide.

If you are able to help, through food or monetary donations or even helping the day of the event, please send an email to Sylvie Vanroose at sylvie.vanroose@hotmail.com or Anne-Marie May at annemarie.may139@gmail.com.

Email Distribution List: Have you added your name to our email distribution list to receive our notices of meetings and information on any issues pertaining to the school? Please complete the tear out form at the bottom. You can be assured that it will be kept confidential and not distributed to any outside sources. Communications are kept to a minimum and have a frequency of no more than once every 6 weeks. Please print.

Martine Brouillet, ChairSchool Parent Council

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

EMAIL DISTRIBUTION LIST SIGN-UP

Parent Name:

Email address:

Child(ren) Name(s):

A Message from Your School Council

CLARKSON S.S. BREAKFAST CAFÉ**********

When? Mondays to Fridays, from 7:20 a.m. to 7:50 a.m.Where? Room 200

Cost? $1.00 per breakfastGood Start-Offs to School Days!

Special thanks go to all students and staff who continue to assist in making Clarkson’s Breakfast Café Program a success again this year. Gratitude is extended to our many Volunteers who arrive very early in the morning to prepare a delicious breakfast for our students and staff.

As well, many thanks go to our Student Volunteers who continue to be a vital asset in all aspects of the breakfast program: Alicia K., Shante K., Chante K.-R., David R., Robbie T., Jacqueline W., Jade A., Jazzmine K., Judy Z., Linda M., Pauline K., Ria T.-B., William Y., Paul T., David V., Susie S. and Tamara B. Thank you, all!

We gratefully acknowledge the dedication and hard work of Clarkson staff members, for without their help, the program would not be successful. Thanks go to Ms. Luffman, Mr. Kittel, Ms. Powell, Ms. Green, Mr. Thomas, all the students of the Applewood School and Ms. Johnson. A warm welcome is extended to Ms. Bakyta, Ms. Campolongo, Ms. Mureseanu and Ms. Sargant. Joining us this month are our new community volunteers Mrs. Kelta Fleck and the members of the Clarkson Presbyterian Church. All of our exceptional volunteers are all making the Café a welcoming place to begin the school day!As we continue to wrap up the remainder of the 2013-2014 school year, Chargers, please remember that ALL students are welcome to join us on weekday mornings (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday mornings) in Room 200 – 7:20 a.m. to 7:55 a.m. If you wish to volunteer and earn community service hours in the Clarkson Breakfast Café for next semester, please see Ms. Luffman.Our Live Free campaign March Madness Basketball game between Clarkson’s Elite Basketball Team and the Peel Regional Team was an overwhelming success. We won our game against the Police and raised over $1,500.00 for the Breakfast Program. The students and staff of Clarkson extend our appreciation to the organization of Ms. Campolongo and her team of students and staff. As a result of our fundraising success, we were able to offer free breakfasts to our Chargers for several weeks! Congratulations to all Breakfast Café Students and Staff!Our Café healthy breakfast menus consist of a choice of scrambled eggs with chicken bacon, grilled cheese, bagels, sandwiches, breakfast wraps, fruit parfaits and much more! Thanks to Ms. Bakyta and her Business class, for all your assistance in updating our breakfast program. You can see our Breakfast program on Twitter and on Facebook. If you wish to join the Breakfast Café and have not completed a form in previous years, please bring a signed Permission Form and a token donation of $1.00 for each breakfast, to keep the program running. Breakfast coupons are available from Ms. Johnson or any Clarkson staff member, for any student requesting and requiring a breakfast without charge. A Permission Form is attached to this Newsletter – see next page).

Clarkson Students!See you at our Breakfast Café

at 7:20 a.m. in Room 200

CLARKSON SECONDARY SCHOOL BREAKFAST CAFÉ2524 Bromsgrove Road, Mississauga, Ontario L5J 1L8

Telephone: 905-822-6700 Fax: 905-822-6896April 2014

Dear Parent/Guardian:

Clarkson Secondary School will be continuing their Breakfast Café program this year. The program runs weekdays, from Monday through Friday. All students are welcome to participate. The Clarkson Breakfast Café (CBC) runs from 7:20 a.m. to 7:50 a.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays in Room 200 -- menus are posted there. Students are expected to eat in Room 200 and arrive in their first period classes by 8:00 a.m. There is a small charge of one dollar ($1.00) for each breakfast. Following Canada's Food Guide recommendations, we will offer a nutritious breakfast with a variety of items to choose from. Providing a healthy start to the school day, the breakfast program significantly enhances our students' physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development. The Breakfast Café program is supported through the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, Student Breakfast for Kids, the Boys' and Girls' Clubs of Peel, Breakfast for Learning and the Student Activity Council of Clarkson. We also welcome volunteer support, financial donations and/or help in other ways from parents and the community. Please print your name and contact number on the Permission Form below.If you would like your son or daughter to attend, please fill in the Confidential Registration Form below. If you are unable to contribute the cost for each breakfast at this time, just complete the Registration Form and check the appropriate box. Have your child return it to Ms. Johnson in Room 218 before participating in the Breakfast Club, so that when your son/daughter does join us it will be with your permission. If you completed a form in the previous school year, there is no need to complete another form. Thank you.Ms. C. Johnson Breakfast Café Committee, Clarkson Secondary School, 905-822-6700 Ext. 461 or Voice Mail 730.

CONFIDENTIAL BREAKFAST CAFÉ REGISTRATION FORM_________________ ___________________________ ________________________________Student No. First Name Last NameMy son/daughter has permission to participate in the Clarkson Breakfast Café. The program will operate Monday to Friday beginning from 7:20 a.m. until 7:50 a.m. Participants must return this completed form. Students understand that all school rules apply during this program. To enable us to serve a proper nutritious breakfast to your child, please supply the following information regarding food restrictions:

FOOD ALLERGIES: _______________________ FOOD RESTRICTIONS: _____________________________ My son/daughter can contribute $1.00 (one dollar) per breakfast. Since my son/daughter is unable to contribute $1.00 at this time to help defray the cost

of a Café breakfast, I give permission for him/her to have breakfast in the Breakfast Café.(Please return this form to Ms. Johnson in Room 218 or to the breakfast program in Room

200.)

___________________________________________ _________________________Signature of Parent/Guardian

Date

I am able to assist with: Volunteering Fundraising I wish to make a donation of $________________ to the Breakfast Café.

Please make cheques payable to Clarkson S.S. (Cheques of $25 or more will receive a tax receipt.)

Name (Please print) Contact Telephone Number

Clarkson Secondary School2524 Bromsgrove Rd.Mississauga, ONL5J 2S2905.822.6700Follow us on Twitter!@clarksoncharger@clarksonSAC@peelintlacademyWebsite:www.clarksonss.caThe Four C's of Clarkson:

Commitment to learning

Communication amongst all partners

Consideration of others

Courtesy for all

Neigbourhood police officers inspire students during regular school visits

From time to time, you may see a police car parked outside our school or police officers walking through our hallways. You may wonder why they are there and feel uncertain or intimidated, but do not be alarmed.

Our Neighbourhood Police Officers (NPOs) help to ensure the safety and well-being of students and staff during regular school visits. Through a positive partnership with our school, our NPOs:

act as a police liaison officer between school officials and our local police service

investigate incidents and conduct follow-ups at schools help to organize community events, e.g. charity sport events held at

the school deliver presentations on topics including: fraud, drugs, gangs, cyber-

bullying and personal safety implement Problem Orienting Policing (POP) projects that are aimed

at identifying and resolving problems within a school and community that interfere with the safe school learning environment

Our NPOs play an important part in, not only ensuring the safety of our staff and students, but also in fostering meaningful partnerships between parents, staff, students and the wider community.

Peel board receives donation of 250 defibrillators to place in all schools, worksites Thanks to a gracious donation from The Mikey Network, all Peel board schools and worksites will soon be equipped with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)—a medical device used to treat individuals experiencing cardiac arrest.  The initiative began in January 2014 and is expected to be completed by December 2016. Approximately seven defibrillators will be placed in Peel board buildings each month, for a total of 250 new defibrillators.  

Our Report to the CommunityEverything we do is designed to help students learn and do well in school. To support this, our school has developed a school success plan to help students achieve to the best of their ability. This Report to the Community communicates our progress and helps us celebrate our many successes with our learning community. The report, including EQAO and report card data, is available under the ‘About Us’ section of our school website. You can also visit www.reportcardforstudentsuccess.org to learn about the strategic plan for the Peel board as a whole.