On Friday, March 1st, 2013, Bond Academy held an evening of special arts-themed events. The night began with the Elementary and Secondary divisions Art Exhibition. Each grade in the elementary division put together a special presentation of artwork displayed in the gymnasium. The gym was transformed into an art gallery with works based on famous artists such as Emily Carr to Wasily Kandinsky. Some classes created crafty, intricate pieces using string ar t and Egyptian hieroglyphics. It was an eclectic mix showcasing student work.

A Truly Divine DisplayThe Secondary division, Miss Dantas’

Grade 12 art class, also participated in the event. The Grade 12 class displayed their art in Room 100 and the front foyer. The students put on a truly divine display of finished, cohesive collections.

While the show continued, secondary students played piano and helped to guide parents around the exhibit. Parents were amazed at the art displays and were impressed with the secondary students’ abilities to create finished work in such short periods of time.

A Dramatic FlareThe arts and drama continued in the

gymnasium throughout the exhibition. With the help of Mr. Rishor’s drama students and Miss Dantas’ art students, live art was created while parents and students enjoyed the exhibition. Mr. Rishor’s drama students were live models on display for the Secondary student artists to sketch. The students also sketched and drew ‘still life’ exhibits. The art was sensational. In one hour students had created finished pieces. One student was able to sell her finished work to a parent. The students really added a dramatic flare to the evening.

ARTS NIGHT: SHOWCASING STUDENT TALENT

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The night ended with the Starving Artists’ Night, raising money for the Toronto Breakfast Club.

Bond News is published by Bond Education Group. Editorial and Graphic Design: Paxlink Communications Inc.

Many Different TalentsAfter the ar t exhibition, parents

were guided to the Talent Show. Students performed many different talents from singing and dancing to painting Chinese symbols. It was a true display of talent spanning all ages.

Raised Money for Toronto Breakfast ClubThe night ended with the Starving

Artists’ Night. Students raised money for Toronto Breakfast Club programs and enjoyed an evening of art-themed activities before retiring for a sleepover at school. Students truly were ‘starving artists’ for a night. They raised money by going without one meal to understand what less fortunate students endure when they are unable to get the nutrition on a daily basis. It was a small demonstration of what less fortunate children experience daily.

Bond Parents SupportStudents awoke to a hot breakfast

provided by Bond parents and family members. Parents provided a feast of scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon and juice for the ‘starving students.’ It truly was a busy, arts-themed weekend ending with a wonderful meal.

April - May, 2013

December 13th saw the return of the annual Bond Academy holiday concert. During the day, the entire school buzzed with excitement as songs were rehearsed, decorations hung and final preparations were made to ensure the concert maintained the high standards set during the previous year’s concert. The concert was once again split into two halfs (junior and senior) in order to fully highlight the many talents in our school.

The junior concert kicked off the night at 5:30 with the Bond Academy choir welcoming parents and friends alike with a rousing rendition of ‘I’m glad you came’. The concert then proceeded to showcase the talents of our junior school members from the Montessori grades up to grade 3.

Unbeknownst to concert attendees, a special surprise was in store as Santa Claus himself joined the entire student body onstage for an energetic performance of the ‘Gangnam Style’ dance complete with live music supplied from the high school department.

In between concerts our audience was treated to a reception in the front foyer complete with refreshments and solo performances from some of our more daring students. Following this brief and wonderful intermission it was back to the auditorium for the senior concert.

The senior concert displayed the full musical potential that Bond Academy students achieve through their years of musical training as a rapturous audience was treated to a diverse program ranging from choreographed vocal performances to organized cheer/dance routines and instrumental performances. By the time the school concert band took the stage to perform the holiday favourite ‘The Nutcracker’ the excitement and

electricity of the entire evening could be felt throughout the auditorium. A final encore and audience sing along of ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ left everyone feeling happy and ready for the upcoming holidays.

‘Christmas comes but once a year’, so they say, and thankfully with it comes our holiday concert. Everyone from staff to students to parents (and everyone in between) worked incredibly hard to deliver another magical night of music and celebration which we can all be proud of. Everyone enjoy the holidays and get ready for our spring concert, coming in June! ‘And to all a good night’!

-- by Michael Allen

On Thursday, December 8th, Bond Academy’s Junior Council organized a bake sale as a way to raise funds for Camp Trillium.

Camp Trillium is a camp in Ontario for children living with cancer and their families. The camp provides a place for families to reconnect and take a break from the pressures of every day life.

Our Junior Council has chosen

Camp Trillium as the recipient of their fundraising efforts because they believe in what the camp offers. Some of our own students have had the benefit of attending the camp and have told us about their amazing experience.

The bake sale was an incredible success with dozens of families contributing baked goods. We raised over $500 with our bake sale,

putting our contribution to Camp Trillium at over $1000 to date. Congratulations Bond!

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O n N ove m b e r 21s t , B o n d Academy was busy celebrat ing literacy with our Scholastic Book Fair. We commemorated the event with a Teachers and Parents vs. Students

f loor hockey game. Although the students put up a good fight, they were no match for the experience of our teachers and parents. Congratulations to all who participated!

Also, as a part of the evening’s festivit ies, Bond staff members competed in the Great Spaghetti Sauce Showdown. There were ten entries and all were delicious

but there can only be one winner. Congratulations to Hillary Hennings whose “Bond’s Best Bolognese” sauce coasted to first place. The evening was a total success thanks t o t h e h a r d wo r k of o u r s t a f f members and the enthusiasm of our students. Over $2000 was raised to purchase new books for our library. Way to go Bond!

Annual Elementary Holiday ConcertFully Highlights Many Talents at Bond Academy

Book Fair and Spaghetti Sauce ShowdownCelebrating Literacy with Scholastic

Junior Council Bake Sale for Camp Trillium

Bond Terry Fox Run:Raised $6,308.23!

Remembrance Day:Respecting Contributions

Mandarin Class:Making Lanterns, Meeting Snakes

Christmas Cheer:Supporting Needy Families

Have Fun at Bond Academy

Halloween

April - May, 2013

As many students are curious about university life and are preparing to choose a school, four Bond graduates who are currently studying in universities came back to share their experiences of university life in terms of academic preparation and some other challenges. Una: graduated in 2010, Ryerson

University, major: Criminal justice, minor: psychology.

Twinkle: graduated in 2010, U of T, major: Science, Mental Health.

Yoko: graduated in 2009, U of T, major: Life Science.

Kiki: graduated in 2009, U of T, major: Mathematics.

Choosing UniversityThink abou t wha t you wan t to

achieve in the future before you apply for universities. You still have time to think about which university and what major you are interested in.

When you consider a university, don’t only think about the name and fame. Think more, for example about the locations, majors, class size, etc.

Many students have pressure from parents, relatives, friends, etc. But you have to know what is the right school and the right program for you. Do not choose university and programs simply because of pressure. Famous universities like U of T are good, but don’t think other universities are bad.

Yoko said, “Life Science is very competitive. You have some choices after you finish the undergraduate degree. First one is, you can go back to your original country and develop there. Or you can go for a graduate program which will take you more years of study. The third one is very attractive, which is go to a professional school, such as, medical school or dental school, or nursing school. If you choose the third one, I will say, don’t choose U of T as your undergraduate university. The courses they offer there are very hard. And they are going to keep the average score at 60. So it is going to be really difficult to get a high GPA. If you go to other schools, you might get a higher GPA. After you finish your undergraduate courses, you can apply to U of T professional schools with higher GPA's. Because U of T professional schools won’t look at which university you graduated from. They are more interested in your GPA. So my first suggestion for undergraduate study is try to get a higher GPA.”

Major, Minor, Double-MajorChoosing the right program means

choosing a program that you like and have passion and ability for it, and are willing to spend time on it. Some people pick whatever comes to their mind, and after they take some courses, they find out that they don’t like it and switch to other programs. If you don’t enjoy what you learn, it will seem

harder. At U of T and many other universities,

you have an option to take a double major. It’s good for your career, because you have more choices. For example, Yoko is now in a double major, nutritional science and human biology at U of T. You can also do specialized programs, and choose one or two minors. But you have to take additional courses for minors.

About Art School“Honestly, a lot people underestimate

the faculty of art. They think it is easier and is not worth it, etc. But it is really a good experience and it is very valuable. There are a lot of good programs that will give you good jobs and many opportunities in the future. It is harder and demanding than people expect. Particularly in my program, criminal justice, it has lots of reading, lots of assignments, lots of writing, and lots of presentations. ” – Una

CurriculumEvery university has pretty much the

same curriculum, because it is controlled by the government. No matter where you go, you are going to take the same courses. Don’t think the courses are harder at U of T, or they are easier in other universities. It just looks harder or easier, because it’s more or less competitive. If the class is bigger, you have to compete with more people. If you don’t want to go to a crowed school, you could choose U of T Scarborough Campus, which is much smaller. If you go to a huge school, be prepared for 300 people in a lecture. But there are tutorials, which have 20-30 people. You can have more depth or individual study with your TA.

Picking CoursesThe course requirements are pretty

much the same in every university. To achieve your degree, there are 40 courses in total. And they suggest 4 or 5 courses per semester. Twinkle strongly recommends getting a registration book to get planning your program. Make sure you pick your courses before the deadline. Don’t wait till the last minute. Courses go very fast.

Campus InvolvementRegarding the university life, many

students are not involved enough. This is obviously a crucial part so go to the orientation. You will get opportunities to make friends. If you don’t know someone in the lectures, you will not find notes if

you are absence for illness. So go to the orientation, and make as many connections as you can. You don’t have to be best friends and stick to each other 24 hours a day. Just you don’t know when you may need help from each other. Don’t only think about lectures, essays, marks.

According to Una, in Ryerson, meeting faculty members is a big emphasis. So always go to your professor’s office, talk to them, even you don’t know what to say just go in and say hi. Make sure you know your professor and let them know you. In this case, they will help you, they will explain their requirements to you, and that will make tremendous difference. You can get references that you need for your post-graduate studies and career if they know you.

You might be involved in many campus groups and activities, which is very good, not only because you meet many people, and you can build connections. You can meet people from different organizations,

some are from off-campus, and they can give you references which is very important. Try to get as many references as you can. Make sure you get enough involvement in university campus. At Ryerson, they have workshops every month on different subjects. They also have tea houses – every month they have presentations from different regions of the world. The content includes music, film, food, and more. It’s a good interaction in school, so make sure you get enough engagement in those activities, it really will give you tremendous help.

And, do some volunteer work and meet more people. You will benefit from that.

Service CentreMost universities have service centres

such as a Writing Centre, Career Centre, on International Student Centre, where you can get extra help. Always use these services. These services are free to students. The Writing Centre will go through your essay and notice your mistakes that you don’t recognize. And it can improve your mark by 4%-5%. It not only helps you with one particular essay, but also helps when you write an essay the next time. The Career Centre, helps you with your resume and helps you look for jobs. As international students, we may have some difficulties such as a language barrier, or culture differences. The International Student Centre has services for orientation, an English communications program, and income tax, visa, study permit services, etc.

They may even save you from emergency situations. The Name may be different in different universities. For example, at U of T, the international centre is called the Centre of International Experience (CIE).

Demanding“One thing I would like to stress about

university in general is it is more demanding than high school. Whatever the methods and tricks you have now will not work. You will have to work a lot harder; you have to read the chapter five times, you need to write the essay five times. One time is not enough at all. The minimum requirement of an essay will be 5-6 pages or 10 pages. You have to think more critically. You can’t just describe things or just mention something which is common knowledge. You cannot just copy and paste from Wikipedia any more. When you write something, you have to explain where you found the information, why you found the information, why you think it is right, why you think it is wrong; you cannot just make a statement. Another difficulty that many students have is about referencing. When you write an essay you have to reference every source you looked at, whatever you used it or not. Referencing is very specific and you will get marks for it. You have to pay special attention to details. When you start to read articles or books, you will see them with a different perspective; you will look at things in depth, and analyze things. An essay can get an “A” in high school bur may get a “D” at university. ” – Una

Time ManagementAn important issue of university life

is time management. Una is a big fan of residence, because it is close to campus and can save you time. Saving the 20 minutes on the TTC you can read 5 pages, and the 5 pages are very important. You will still have time for fun, but in proportion. Have a good balance, organize your time. Don’t crunch the night before an exam. If you crunch, it’s not going to get you anywhere. Start your essay two weeks before and you will realize which stage you are at and you will need others to tell you what mistakes you made.

--by Staff Reporter

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Postsecondary Choices:

Alumni Graduates Talk to

Universities Visit: U of T, York, Waterloo, Ryerson, Brock

April - May, 2013

"Shakespeare is not scary any more", this was the overall opinion of a group of students of Bond Academy who went to see The Twelfth night at the Toronto Centre for the Arts on November 28, 2012. The play was performed by Classical Theatre Project famous for its interpretations of classics through the eyes of a contemporary audience.

Twelf th Night was presented as a musical production with five actors playing 11 roles. If that was not confusing enough, imagine the plot in which confusion is part of the story: cross dressing, love triangles, pranks and misunderstandings in addition to Shakespear ian language that even native English speakers hardly understand! However, the performance was full of humor, playfulness and pure fun which made it a success. The theatre was full of laughter and the atmosphere of joyfulness and carefree feelings.

When the play was over, the st udents asked the actors some questions and thanked them for the pleasure of the experience. Here are some of the quotes of their remarks:· They were dancing, singing

and speaking; they really devote themselves to it and act like real men and women in the past and also the modern world.· I saw the play yesterday and

felt it was a really amazing one. They have a lot of energy and they can entertain themselves in the play. They were really enjoyable in it. Of course, this feeling also made the audience feel good and made a perfect atmosphere.· I r e a l l y e n j o y e d t h e

performance yesterday. It’s totally funny, especially the big guy. I did not understand some of the words they spoke, but I can see the expressions on their faces.· Actors also use their body

language to make a lot of fun for us.· We paid attention, because the

conversations between the roles are very humorous.· We took t wo buses. The

drivers kept saying“move back”, but there was no more space. The play was funny.· We were so happy on the way

to theatre. The play was interesting. But the characters made me confused. I couldn’t completely understand the play. I think I should improve my listening.· Their dancing was very funny.

The tone quality of their piano was good. Their communication was very funny. So were their actions.

We enjoyed it very much and would like to do it again!

--by Galina Ovsichtcher and Her ClassIllustration by Richard Pope/Orlando

SentinelSource: blogs.orlandosentinel.com

Secondary PD Day: Suppor St dents Lear ing Success

Bond Inter nat ional Col lege Secondary Panel held a Professional D evelopme nt Day me e t i ng on Nove mb e r 23, 2012 . Te a che r s a ssembled u nder ou r pr i ncipa l Mr Farber’s guidance to discuss “Professional responsibility as a teacher at Bond Academy/Bond International College”. Goals for

the meeting were to learn how to support student learning, to promote awareness of the Ontario curriculum, to discuss student achievements, and identify effective teaching practices.

Actions taken to accomplish these goals were done through learning the EduGAINS website shown by Mr Farber, focusing on Differential

Learning as an example of Learning Goals and Success Cr ite r ia , as well as complet ing handouts to better understand student learning. During the meeting, the goals were accomplished after discussions and handouts.

The importance of Assessment & Evaluat ion, descr ibed by the Ministry, was discussed, and will be implemented by teachers. The EduGAINS site identif ied how to educate and assess students better. In order to help students achieve success, the meanings of Learning Goals and Success were defined, so that our teachers can identify what is the key to success, and how to help students work towards it.

The PD Day meet ing was a success in terms of identifying and implementing actions to suppor t students. It was one of many behind-the-scenes actions that have been, and will be done, to progress Bond Academy’s success.

12th Night: Shakespeare Not Scary Any More Halloween: Teachers Jumping in “The Wild West”

Western U. Visiting: Experiencing My Dream School

Comic: Grade 11 Proud to Showcase Fiction Works

Open House: Exchange Program Promote Global Learning

Christmas: Enjoy the Party and Dinner

The tutoring program held during 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. every weekday in the activity room at Bond Residence plays an important role in improving students’ English skills after school.

N o r m a l l y w e h a v e t w o outstanding native English teachers from Bond School to tutor us. In turn, the students who are studying in ESL and under are 18-year-old are required to spend 2 hours a week there. Bond students can ask tutors to check their essays, ask for teacher’s advice towards the presentat ion

they’ve prepared for class , and get opportunities for training and practicing oral English with the native –speaker teachers. As well they can discuss topics in depth such as cultural d if ferences, study methods and employment issues after graduating from university.

The activity room is also a good place to go for those students who need to accomplish their assignments with teamwork as the activity room is a suitable place for academic discussion.

As for me, ever y confusing point I collected during classes, any mistake I made in exams and tests, any question I have about courses or university selections, I can go to the activity room and ask these teachers for advice. Also, the favorable study environment in the activity room helps me to finish my homework in both an effective and efficient way. I love to take part in the tutoring program because it helps me to grow and learn academically and mentally.

-- by Lydia Xie

Bond Residence Tutoring Program

Improving English Skills and More

Bond News all designs, photos and words are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without permission.

April - May, 2013

Bond News all designs, photos and words are subject to copyright and may not be reproduced without permission.

Bond Academy under 14 Elementary Girls’ Basketball Team won the SSAF Championship on Thursday, December 6th, 2012. The finals took place at Bond Academy, who hosted Unionville Montessori School, Waldorf Private School, and Tall Pines Private School.

The final four match-ups were Bond vs Tall Pines and Unionville vs Waldorf, with Bond and Unionville both winning handily. The final match of Bond vs Unionville was a great match-up of extremely competitive teams.

The score went back and forth with both teams exchanging the lead into the fourth quarter. Bond gained the lead early in the fourth quarter with the great scoring of their captain, Olivia Kim. Olivia demonstrated great leadership all season long and showed her championship heart when the game was close.

Shooting guards Shelby Wickham and Elizabeth Mackay were outstanding as well. Shelby Wickham had many steals and fast break points and Elizabeth Mackay was great defensively. Forwards Jenn MacKay and Anita Obiang both made key baskets

late in the game to expand our lead and demonstrated the eye of the tiger intensity in out rebounding their opponents.

Bond won by a final score of 24-21. Bond Academy Elementary Girls’ Basketball Team has come very far

in the past 7 years, but the 2012 team demonstrated unbelievable character and chemistry in winning the championship and having an undefeated season at 10 wins and 0 losses.

-- by Staff Reporter

10 wins and 0 losses in Girls’ Under 14 Basketball Tournament

Same Team Wins 2013 SSAF Elementary Girls Volleyball Champion

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Break from the Rigors of StudiesBond Students Skiing on Winter Activity Day

This year marks the fourth annual Bond Academy Winter Activity Day. In 2010, Mr. Farber put forward an initiative to encourage all Bond Academy students to embrace the winter months in Canada. Bond students are provided with a break from the rigors of their studies while learning new skills and participating in outdoor activities.

The 2013 edition of Winter Activity Day was on Wednesday February 27th at Dagmar Ski Resort. Over the years the staff at Bond have supervised Winter Activity Day trips to art galleries, theatre performances and even to a curling rink, but the ski trip remains the most popular with Bond Academy students.

This year ’s t r ip to Dagmar was character ized by unseasonably wet weather, but the conditions did not dampen

the enthusiasm of our kids. Skiers and snowboarders of all abilities got a chance to take a lesson and enjoy a day of experiential learning on the slopes. Over one hundred students and teachers took to the hills for the day. It is the largest group that has ever participated in the Winter Activity Day ski trip.

Staff and students got to interact in innovative ways and everyone left the ski hill feeling connected with the natural world. The trip was a great way to elevate school spirit and to reward our kids for all the hard work that they’ve done throughout the year. Like the Terry Fox Run and the Bond Fashion show, the Winter Activity Day has become an annual tradition at Bond that grows in popularity and scope with each passing year.

-- Soojin Jeong

Over 100 students, staff and parents, skated their hearts out at McGregor Park Arena on February 20th, 2013. They all fell a lot, laughed a lot and raced against each other! Officers, representing our local police station #41, came over and pitched in to help tie skates and help the beginners race against the more advanced skaters. Fun contests were held and Mrs. Waterson baked 242 cookies as an after skate treat for everyone.

April - May, 2013

Bond Education Group: 1500 Birchmount Road, Toronto, ON M1P 2G5 Canada Tel: 416-266-8878 Fax: 416-266-3898 Website: www.bondgroup.ca E-mail: info@bondgroup.ca

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