LOOKING AHEAD

Thornhill Secondary School

PAW PRINTS

VOLUME 5 ISSUE 2 February 2014

INSIDE Page(s) Bonjour 2

Music 2

Special Education 2

Geography Department 3

Community Based Education 4

Library 5

Science Department 5

Business Department 6

English Department 7

Visual Art 7

History 7

Tech Department 8

PAE at Thornhill 8

Mathematics Department 8

Guidance 9

DECA Announcement 9

Family Studies 10

English as Second Language 10

60th Anniversary 11

February 26 Grad Photo Retakes March 7 PA Day March 10-14 March Break March 20 School Council Mtg March 21 Interim Reports March 27 Literacy Test April 3 Parents’ Night April 18 & 21 Good Friday/Easter Monday

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

Shirley Smullen, Vice-Principal Louis Lim, Vice-Principal

Superintendent of Schools Jackie Young

Trustee Susan Geller

School Council Co-Chairs Hayley Morris and Shirley Porjes

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE Greetings! I trust you have experienced a terrific start to 2014. As a school

community, we continue to learn and grow together. I am particularly delighted

that our community partners, parents, staff and students work collaboratively and

tirelessly to make Thornhill a safe, supportive and inclusive learning environment.

Thank you for continually putting the well-being and achievements of our

students first, and for contributing to the betterment of the wider society.

With this newsletter comes the final Report Card for Semester One (distribution

date: February 14). Congratulations to students on their academic and extra-

curricular successes. To parents: if you have not received a report card, then

please contact your child’s homeroom teacher. Should your child have a study

period at the start of the school day, please speak with a member of the Office

Staff. Do take time to review the report card with your child(ren), to celebrate

their accomplishments and, where needful, to ensure that supports are in place for

improvements in Semester Two. A good next-step in determining improvement

strategies is to contact your child’s Guidance Counselor or another member of the

Student Success Team. We recognize that parents play a critical role in the

education of our youth and value your ongoing involvement.

As a general reminder, on March 27, 2014, Grade Ten students will write the

Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT). Success on this test meets the

Literacy Requirement for graduation. Our staff is working with students to

optimize their performance, and is relying on parents to do the same. For

example, parents may build or strengthen students’ reading and comprehension

skills by making various reading materials available at home, or by reading and

discussing course-related articles or texts with them. Please take a moment to go

through the related Parent Resources and Student Resources at the Education

Quality Accountability Office website at http://www.eqao.com/categories/

home.aspx?Lang=E. We look forward to everyone’s involvement in support of

our test-takers.

As a learning community, we continue to focus on our core business of

facilitating students’ social, emotional and academic growth at T.S.S. A related

emphasis in our School Improvement Plan (S.I.P.) is the development of students’

self-regulation skills in all contexts of school life. I am very proud of our staff’s

commitment as learners and other areas of focus in our S.I.P. We are expanding

and deepening our knowledge and skills to ensure that our students consistently

strive for, and experience, the best outcomes.

To students who are Semester One graduates, congratulations on your scholastic

and personal accomplishments! We look forward to seeing you at the Annual

Graduation Ceremony in June. Be sure to keep in touch for further details.

I invite all Tigers to mark your calendar to be part of the school’s 60th

Anniversary Celebration on May 30, 2014. This promises to be a momentous

occasion for our school.

Thanks to the contributors to this edition of our school newsletter. On behalf of

the Admin Team, best wishes to each and everyone for a successful Semester

Two! Sincerely, David A. McAdam

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1 TSS PAW PRINTS PAGE 2

Welcome to another year in the French Department! This semester, students have continued to learn and use their French language skills both in the classroom and out of it. In November, students in grades 10 and 11 French had the opportunity to visit The Sultan’s Tent & Café Maroc as an extension of their food unit in class. At the restaurant, they were able to experience an aspect of

Francophone culture – Moroccan food and customs. As they ate, students watched and even participated in “la danse du ventre” – belly dancing! Thank you to all those students that provided us with so much entertainment and laughter! We would also like to thank Ms. Seni for being part of Thornhill Secondary’s French Department in semester

one. She has done an amazing job and everyone appreciates her dedication, hard work, and fun lessons. You

will be missed!

PAW PRINTS

THORNHILL MUSIC

DEPARTMENT

What a busy but wonderful year it

has been so far. Our Thornhill music

students had several opportunities to

share their love of music with their

peers, parents, and community. The Vocal Ensemble enhanced

the student awards assembly and added an emotional tribute to

the Thornhill Remembrance Day ceremony. Both the band and

the choir reached out to the Grade 8 students through their

performances and welcomed them into the Music Department

during our Grade 8 Open House. We also had the opportunity to

tour and perform for our surrounding elementary schools. Our

students were given a very warm welcome from Henderson P.S.,

Glen Shields P.S. and E.J. Sands P.S. What a rewarding

experience to perform for all the elementary students.

December 11, 2013 was our Music Night at the Thornhill United

Church. We would like to thank all of the parents,

administration, staff and friends for attending, showing their

support for our talented music students, and helping to make the

evening such a success. We look forward to our spring concert

on May 28, 2014.

In March of 2014 our Vocal Ensemble is embarking on an

exchange with another music group from Maple Ridge, British

Columbia. These students will be housed with our students and

given a warm Thornhill welcome. Our students will be travelling

to British Columbia in May where they will perform in

Musicfest. What a wonderful opportunity for our music students.

If there are any businesses who are able to donate items (pens,

pads, bags…) towards our exchange it would be most

appreciated. Please help to welcome these students into our

community. Contact Ms. Spilberg for more information.

TO TSS

We welcome staff, students and families who

are new to TSS this semester! A warm

welcome to the following teachers:

Renee Goodman, Helen Hannah, Nadine Long,

Paul Pilli and Laura Tarver.

The Autism class is celebrating the achievement of many

milestones this semester in literacy, numeracy and

social skills; especially in verbal and social communication,

self-regulation, sequencing, measurement and

addition. We look forward to next semester’s learning

opportunities and we thank Mr. Moore for his

contributions to our program! We also want to welcome

Ms. Long as she joins our team!

Our grade 10 Learning Strategies classes are busy

preparing for the OSSLT and will welcome Daniel

Feilchenfeld , our Technology Resource Teacher, on

February 18 to give our students pointers on the use of

special programs such as Kurzweil, Word Q and Smart

Ideas.

Congratulations to our semester 1 grads! Good luck in

your future endeavours!

A couple of reminders: The resource room, room 109, is

open until 4 every day to assist students with an IEP with

their homework. IPRC’s are coming up and students with

an IEP will need to make a decision as to whether to take

a Learning Strategies course. The focus for the grade 10

Learning Strategies course is preparation for the OSSLT.

The grade 11 course focuses on essay writing skills

whether college or university bound. And the grade 12

course allows students to research future programs

and pathways.

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Geography Department

“What is where? Why there? Why care?”

Welcome Geographers! As we come to the close of a busy first semester and now look ahead to the second semester, Geographers continue to ask: “what is where, why there, and why care” ?

Grade 9 Geographers have been discussing “real life” resource issues such as Alberta Oil Sands and the Northern Gateway pipeline. At the end of the course, the students became “urban planners” as they looked for ways to combat urban sprawl by re-developing an existing location right here in Thornhill!

Grade 12 World Issues students have examined, discussed and proposed solutions for many contentious global issues such as: population growth and decline, global food insecurity, intervening in geopolitical conflict, dealing with climate change, and how to protect valuable resources like freshwater. We have also “rolled out the red carpet” whereby students have researched, created and showcased their awareness-raising course culminating documentaries.

Course Selections: Course selections for the 2014-15 school year are taking place for students. Have you considered furthering your studies in Geography?

Jobs in Geography:

Cartographer, Climatologist, Demographer, Emergency Planning, Environmental Manager, GIS Specialist, Geologist, Global Business Management, Foreign Affairs, International Development Officer, Land Surveyor, Marketing, National Park Services, Outdoor Guide, Real Estate, Seismologist, Teaching, Tourism, Urban Planner, Volcanologist, Writer, and many more…

Senior Geography courses @ TSS:

Travel and Tourism: A Geographic Perspective, Grade 11 Open

CGG3O This course focuses on issues related to travel and tourism within and between various

regions of the world. Students will investigate unique environmental, socio-cultural,

economic, and political characteristics of selected world regions. They will explore travel patterns and trends as well as

tensions related to tourism, and will predict future tourism destinations. Students will apply the concepts of

geographic thinking and the geographic inquiry process, including spatial technologies, to investigate the impact of the

travel industry on natural environments and human communities. Prerequisite: Canadian Geographic Issues, Grade 9,

Academic or Applied

World Issues: A Geographic Analysis, Grade 12 University Preparation CGW4U This course looks at the global challenge of creating a more sustainable and equitable world.

Students will explore a range of issues involving environmental, economic, social, and geopolitical

interrelationships, and will examine governmental policies related to these issues. Students will

apply the concepts of geographic thinking and the geographic inquiry process, including spatial

technologies, to investigate these complex issues, including their impact on natural and human

communities around the world.

Prerequisite: Any university or university/college

preparation course in Canadian and World Studies,

English, or Social Sciences and Humanities

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Our students continue to enjoy various engaging activities and labs to support their learning of

science concepts.

The York Region Science Olympics at Seneca at York are taking place on February 26th. We are excited to be choosing our teams and preparing for the competition. Various grade 11 and 12 contests in biology, chemistry and physics will be written in the Spring. Details will be announced as the semester unfolds and the results will be reported in the year-end Pawprints in June. We welcome Ms. Chaudhary to the Science Dept. as one of our senior Physics teachers.

We encourage all students to obtain a Vaughan and/or

Markham Public Library card. The Markham and

Vaughan Public Libraries give students access to online

databases that are impor-

tant in providing information for academic research—an

extremely useful resource throughout their high school

career and IT’S FREE!

PAGE 6 TSS PAW PRINTS VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1

Business Department The Grade 9 Information and Communication Business students learned how

to produce a variety of business documents with various applications including

business letters, Excel spreadsheets, Publisher flyers, brochures and

invitations. They were innovative and had fun creating advertisements

including using Moviemaker for their products. PowerPoint and Prezi were

used to facilitate effective communication. They also maintained a digital

portfolio of exemplary work that not only illustrated their skills in information

and communication technology but could assist them when applying for student employment

positions in future.

The Grade 10 Introduction to Business students learned about all aspects of business: Personal

Finance, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Accounting, Marketing and International Business. Students’

independent study units involved creating and marketing their own business ventures. Some

interesting and very feasible ventures were created! They also enjoyed the stock market challenge.

Grade 11 Accounting students learned how to perform the entire accounting cycle for a small business

and taught their peers about ethics and the implications of recent accounting scandals.

Grade 11 Economics students finished the semester by learning the essentials of financial planning.

This culminated in their creation of their own detailed financial plans for their ‘clients’. This

important skill is crucial to all students as they become managers of money themselves and plan for

their future financial goals and security.

Grade 11 Law students acquired a practical knowledge of our Canadian legal system which included

participating in two mock trials. The trials showed off many of our students’ wonderful debating skills

and the ability to anticipate arguments from lawyers on the other side. In this class, students offered

their opinions on many legal issues and were able to learn critical thinking skills by hearing other

points of view on these issues. Students also learned how to analyze cases which will prepare them for

Grade 12 law or further post-secondary law studies.

Grade 12 law students took their knowledge of the law to the next level by arguing appeals cases in

front of the Supreme Court of Canada. Students prepared factums and made oral submissions to the

bench. Students had the opportunity to be in role as both lawyers and judges. They also

demonstrated their criminal law knowledge by writing from the perspective of a convict who had been

through the criminal justice process from start to finish. There were many very creative stories!

Grade 12 Leadership Students ‘took over the course’ towards the end of the semester, and used their

leadership skills and knowledge to teach – a – lesson – to their peers. They delivered important lessons

about leadership, motivation, teamwork and organizing, which are many of the skills needed for

success in post-secondary school and the workforce. The lessons highlighted the students’ ability to

master content and educate their peers using exciting lessons that included activities, group-work,

videos and more.

Grade 12 International Business students developed their profiles on countries of their choice and

they were quite creative with their marketing plan. They determined the cultural challenges and

benefits for management when doing business internationally.

We wish all our students well!

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ENGLISH DEPARTMENT

The English Department is constantly striving to create curriculum that is innovative and exciting. Since our

student population reflects a variety of interests, we have developed compulsory and elective courses that

appeal to their interests. We are proud to say that the Grade 11 Open Media Course has been quite

successful as it focuses on the different elements and components of media. The Grade 11 Open

Presentation and Speaking Skills Course enables students to examine and use the various skills necessary

to present and speak effectively. Also, the Grade 12 Writers’ Craft Course is popular with its workshop

environment for students to creatively manipulate language and to read each other’s

work.

Department members are committed to providing students with quality instruction

that encourages them to become critical thinkers and problem-solvers. Our focus is on

student-centered learning and other differentiated learning strategies. In addition, we

strive to develop and maximize student learning skills and work habits by

emphasising process and the awareness of learning through metacognitive

assessment.

The History Department is kicking off

second semester with a T.S.S. Model

U.N. contingent that will compete

against other high school students from

across the province at the University of

Toronto from February 7-9; we wish

them the best of luck! On May 15 the

grade 11 World History class will head

down to the Royal Ontario Museum to

work with primary sources from

ancient Greece and Rome and will

participate in a guided tour of the

Rome and Middle Ages exhibit. We

continue to look for new ways to

incorporate technology and critical

thinking concepts in our classrooms.

Please stay in touch with the History

Department for additional information

about the department, courses taught,

or future field trips.

A wonderful semester has come to a close. Ms

England, Ms. Hallis and Ms. Herman-Landau are very

pleased with the hard work and success of the

students and their beautiful pieces of art.

Ms Hallis’s grade 9 students did superb pastel

portraits and interesting India ink compositions.

The combinations of man-made and organic forms

were clever and even ‘punny’. Their Greek vases

made an appearance at Santorini’s Restaurant over

the winter break. Patrons enjoyed these works very

much.

Ms. England’s grade 11 and 12 class created gorgeous

plaster low relief sculptures, and they made amazing

book constructions. The grade 12 art show was

introspective, inspiring, and thought-provoking.

Many staff and students visted.

Both the 11 and 12 craft students created lovely

stained glass and glass mosaic projects. Their

culminating assignment was to create personal

symbolic and functional books. They outdid

themselves. The work is currently on display in the

Student Resource Centre.

Grade 10 Photography students enjoyed working in

the school darkroom and printing portraits and

experimenting with camera settings.

We in the Art Department thank the students so

much for such a gratifying semester! We see that

second semester is off to a wonderful start as well!

Thank you, students of Thornhill for your creativity,

dedication, and artistic integrity!

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Thornhill Secondary Transportation classes would like to thank the

communities of Thornhill and Markham for donating their used vehicles to

the school. These vehicles will prove to be instrumental teaching aids for all

automotive students. It is through these vehicles that students will receive a

hands on education, allowing them to better their skills and understanding in transportation

technologies. Students will learn to remove and replace components on these vehicles while

following the proper procedure and safety cautions needed in the operation. It is because of

peoples generous donations to the course, Thornhill Secondary can continue to offer some of the

best technological courses across the board. Thank you Lou D’Angela, Head of Technology

We are very proud of the different programs we provide in the Alternative Education Department where we serve students who benefit from an individualized learning environment. We have a staff of 10 teachers who are dedicated to supporting the students’ success. Our Supervised Alternative Learning Program (SAL) is a regional program designed to meet the needs of students under 18 years of age. Students have the opportunity to obtain credits both in class and through volunteer or work placements. This semester we have students volunteering in a day care centre, an elementary school and a retirement home. Our Alternative Learning for Excused Pupils (ALEP) program is designed to meet the needs of senior students. Students in this program also have the opportunity to earn credits through work or volunteer experience. They are currently earning credits through working in grocery stores, construction, landscaping and restaurants. Graduates of this program have been successful in their chosen fields of study in a variety of college programs.

MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT We are looking forward to another successful year for math contests. The following is a list of contests that we will be running and the dates at which the contests will run. Pascal Contest (Grade 9 ) Thursday, February 20, 2014 Cayley Contest (Grade 10) Thursday, February 20, 2014 Fermat Contest (Grade 11) Thursday, February 20, 2014 Euclid Contest Tuesday, April 15, 2014 Fryer Contest (Grade 9) Wednesday April 16, 2014 Galois Contest (Grade 10) Wednesday April 16, 2014 Hypatia Contest (Grade 11) Wednesday April 16, 2014

Math Club is running in Room 120 on Thursdays in preparation for these contests. If you have questions you may speak to Mr. Fraschetti.

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Guidance Newsletter Social Networking Safety Tips! Are you using your mobile device safely? Is your identity safe when you log onto the closest “hotspot” at your favourite coffee shop or hangout? On February 13th , 2014, T.S.S. grade 9 and 10 students and parents learned got a clear lesson on how to make ourselves safer online. Paul Davis of “Social Networking Safety Tips” shared important tips on how to make your social media accounts and mobile devices safer from identify theft and online predators. Some tips included: have a different password for every account, change it often and make it 11 characters or more; delete apps like “ask.fm”

and “Snapchat” that put you at risk; and be “friends” with real friends online. Pathway News: Is an Apprenticeship the opportunity you have been waiting for? Apprenticeship is a proven hands-on training program for people who enjoy "learning by doing" and who want to work in a skilled trade. About 90 per cent of apprenticeship training is provided in the workplace by employers. The remainder involves theoretical classroom instruction, which is usually given at a local community college, or provided through another approved training organization. Apprentices receive training while they earn a wage. The length of time that is required to complete an apprenticeship varies from trade to trade. For more information about apprenticeships in Ontario please visit… www.edu.gov.on.ca/skills www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/oyap www.apprenticesearch.com Course Selection Tips Strong math skills are required for some of the skilled trades (e.g. electrical, automotive service technician) If there is a skilled trade you are interested in, you should investigate co-op opportunities (i.e. construction sector may require you to consider a 4 credit co-op in grade 11 in order to participate in the accelerated OYAP program, second semester grade 12)

Congratulations to our 41 provincial qualifiers who competed in the DECA Ontario

competition on February 10th and 11th against more than 6000 of their peers in this

challenging business competition, which tests candidates on their business knowledge and

presentation skills. Our team had an outstanding performance and enjoyed two days of

intense competition and social functions at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Toronto.

We thank all the competitors for their dedication and perseverance, and the countless hours

they spent preparing for competition, and our exceptional executive team of David Bryckine,

Ilia Sucholutsky and Meli Lifshits who ran the club this year. Special congratulations to our award winners.

Placing in the top 15 in their respective categories were: Nicholas Woo Sophie Ziomecki

Crystal Chen Samuel Grobman

Anna Anachenko Ryan Khurana

Finally, we wish to acknowledge the outstanding achievement of three members who qualified for the prestigious

international competition to be held in Atlanta, Georgia this year. Congratulations to:

Ben Levy with a 6th place finish

Ilia Sucholutsky with a third place finish

David Bryckine with a third place finish

Way to go TSS DECA!

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HEALTH & SAFETY - HIGH WATER SAFETY BULLETIN

With imminent warmer temperatures and rain showers, snow

melt will run into watersheds and will increase flows and water

levels. In the interest of personal safety, please:

Stay off thawing ice on all bodies of water

Be wary of higher water levels and more rapid currents

Stay away from slopes and stream banks

Use extreme caution around bodies of water

Alert children in your care of these dangers.

English As Second Language Department

The ESL Department had a great semester one. We welcomed many new students from around the world. On January 29th we welcomed over 20 visa students from China, Vietnam and Iran to TSS. On Friday, February 14th, the ESL Club celebrated the Asian New Year. The party was well attended and everyone had a great time playing games,

listening to music and of course, eating. Thanks to the ESL Club for all their hard work! Good luck to all of our English Language Learners in Semester Two.

Ms. Bazos & Ms. Nasmith, ESL Department

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