LOOKING AHEAD

Thornhill Secondary School

PAW PRINTS

VOLUME 5 ISSUE 1 November 2013

INSIDE Page(s)

Athletic Council 2 Guidance Department 2&9 Physical and Health Education 3 Recruitment 2014-2015 Pages 3 CFGL Award 3 History Department 4 Post Secondary Fair 4 Music Department 5 Restorative Approaches and Student Success at TSS 6 Geography Department 6 DECA Competition 7 Math Department 7

Nov 18-29 Grad Photos November 21 Semi Formal November 25 Full Disclosure December 5 Gr 8 Open House December 11 Music Night December 20 PA Day Dec 23-Jan 3 Christmas Break January 6 Classes Resume

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 If you are new to our school family this year, a belated welcome! If you are a

seasoned member, then welcome back!

This is the last annual “welcome back” to the Class of 2014. As part of the

Grade 12 cohort, each of you has a special role – to continue to model

exemplary leadership, scholarship and character. Make this year the best yet,

both for T.S.S. and for yourself.

Thornhill S.S. is an amazing learning community with 59 years of rich history.

With a dedicated staff, supportive parents, and talented students, there is a lot

more to T.S.S. than meets the eye. Term One has been marked by several

accomplishments, including the launch of many new clubs, our Junior Awards

Ceremony for 2012-2013, and Post-Secondary Fair. Other examples are

presented throughout this newsletter. Planning is now underway for Thornhill’s

60th Anniversary Celebration in May 2014. Congratulations to one and all!

This issue of the newsletter coincides with the distribution of the Mid-Semester

Report Card and Response Form. To parents, the report card reflects the level of

achievement for your child in each course at this time. Kudos to our students on

all their successes! It is very likely that in some situations a more concentrated

effort will improve student achievement. With this in mind, we welcome

parents and students to review course results and to discuss improvement

strategies, including the supports which are available at the school. Our staff

members will be happy to assist you in this regard. Please note that the date for

return of the completed Response Form to the school is November 22.

The 2013-2014 school year represents another significant opportunity in our

journey of continuous improvement at Thornhill. Our goal is to offer a

comprehensive, responsive program in academics, the arts, technological

studies, and sports in an environment that optimizes the growth and success of

each Tiger. We are building respectful relationships throughout our school

community as the foundation for inclusive, relevant, innovative, and meaningful

learning. In alignment with our School Improvement Plan, our heightened focus

on developing critical literacy skills and learning skills is resulting in more

engaging experiences for students.

The school staff is committed to facilitating opportunities for each and every

Tiger to excel. This includes our ongoing partnership with parents on behalf of

our students as they pursue a variety of post-secondary pathways. Parents, keep

in touch with your child’s teachers. Stay tuned to happenings at the school, e.g.,

via our weekly e-bulletin. Please contact the school office to add your e-mail

address to the mailing list.

Let’s all find our place and do our part as we strive for excellence this year. On

behalf of the Admin Team, I extend thanks to community partners, parents/

guardians, peer-leaders, students, support staff and teachers for your continuing

input towards the well-being, learning and achievement of members of the

T.S.S. family. Best wishes to everyone for the remaining months.

Sincerely, David A. McAdam

The Thornhill Athletic Committee and Healthy Eating Active Living

Committee ran the Terry Fox Run and Fundraiser, raising just over $1700

for cancer research. Ms. Therrien's period two class led the school with

$170! The beautiful weather made it a perfect day for staff and students to

participate in the 10th Annual Terry Fox Run/Walk. Congratulations to all

who contributed to the spirit of this event and thank you to everyone for

your generous support!

Coaches have been hard at work with Fall season teams and we'd like to recognize some special and

outstanding efforts. September’s Athletes of the Month were Sophie Bui, Julia Kobylianski, Katherine

Yampolsky and Polina Zavyalova. Katherine and Julia are the Senior Girls Doubles Open Champions,

Sophie is the Senior Girls Singles Open Champion and Polina is the Senior Girls High School Finalist. All

four will be competing in the OFSAA Championships at the Rexall Centre. Good luck ladies! October’s

Athletes of the Month were Deion Hamran and Brandon Fedrizzi. Both boys were members of and

captained the Varsity Boys’ Soccer Team. Both displayed sportsmanship, leadership and gave all they had

each and every game. Honourable mentions also go out to Trevor Sangster who placed 6th in the York

Region Cross Country Finals and Hannah Marcus who placed 9th in the York Region Cross Country Finals.

Tremendous efforts!

The school’s Healthy Eating Active Living Committee has been busy planning events to increase awareness

around the topics of cancer, tobacco use, healthy eating, mental wellness and the importance of active

living.

The Council would like to thank all the parents and staff who supported the Silent Auction. The money

raised will be going back to the athletes and intramural program at Thornhill S.S.

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1 TSS PAW PRINTS PAGE 2

What can your Guidance Department do for you? Your Guidance Counsellors are here to support you in many ways. We provide academic support by helping you select courses in the appropriate pathways during course selection and throughout the year; we work with you to develop organization and time management strategies; we also help you identify your short and long term goals. The Guidance Department facilitates a peer tutor program, as well as provides up-to-date information on volunteer opportunities. When it comes time to researching your post-secondary destinations, Guidance will work with you to ensure that you are familiar with all of your options. We will also help you choose the appropriate high school courses to get you there. In addition to academic support, we provide personal and crisis counselling. We are here to listen, to support you and to connect you with additional supports outside the school if necessary. Whether you are experiencing anxiety over school work, relationship concerns with friends or family, or simply need someone to talk to – we are available. If you haven’t already done so, be sure too LIKE Thornhill Guidance on

.

For Grade 12 students, please follow us on Twitter @TSSGUIDANCE.

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1 TSS PAW PRINTS PAGE 3

RECRUITMENT OF 2014-2015 PAGES

House of Commons Pages are being recruited for the 2014-2015 session. Senior students who maintain an average of 80% and are fluent in English and French are invited to apply. To be eligible, students must also be accepted at a university in the National Capital Region. The deadline for applications is December 9, 2013. More information is available at the Parliament of Canada website. Applications must be submitted online at www.parl.gc.ca/hocpage

The 2013-2014 school year has gotten off to a

great start for Phys. Ed. at Thornhill S.S. At the

start of the semester all students underwent fitness

testing for two days. After measuring their

current levels of fitness they set goals which they

are working towards in daily class warm-ups,

activities and games. Students will have a chance

to meet their goal in the December round of

fitness testing. Remember, every little bit of

activity helps.

All grades participated in the Aussie X program

during the warm September weather. Students got

to experience the game of Australian Rules

Football from an authentic Aussie, accent and all.

They learned how to hand pass, kick, wrap and

score. On the final two days a full-out game of

Footie ensued and there were many naturals.

Good on ya' mate!

The grade 9 girls will be participating in a Self-

Defence program in November, which will be held

at the school for 5 days. Instructor Adam Jones

will be in to demonstrate self-defence techniques in

a safe and controlled environment.

The grade 10 girls have shared with each other

nutritious snack ideas on a weekly basis. Students

are encouraged to create healthy snacks that are

easy to make, convenient and nutritious. Some of

our samplings have included homemade chunky

guacamole, morning glory muffins, strawberry and

cream cheese sandwiches, and sweet potato

tortillas. We look forward to more delicious and

nutritious snacks.

All the fitness students are enjoying the milder

weather as they continue to work on increasing

their fitness levels with 3, 5 and 7 km runs in the

community. Great work!

If your student is taking Phys. Ed. in second

semester and purchased a uniform on registration

day, please have them come to the Phys. Ed. office

to order their sizes. We have run out and will be

placing another order shortly. Please have them

bring their receipt from registration day.

We look forward to a great second half of the

semester and many more successes in our classes.

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1 TSS PAW PRINTS PAGE 4

The Thornhill History Department is off to a great start. On September 25th, 2013 students from

Thornhill Secondary School spoke up for human rights and global justice by attending the Toronto

Freedom Day festival at Dundas Square. Students heard from Holocaust survivor, Max Eisen, CEO

of Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Avi Benlolo, and Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield. Thousands of

students across the province sent a clear message that they are going to stand up for social justice

and equality. The History Department is also venturing out of the school in the month of November

taking the grade 10 History classes to the McMichael Art Gallery for a guided tour and hands on

session examining Canadian identity and landscape through the great works of the Group of 7

artists (November 21). The grade 10 Canadian history student body is also invited to attend a

Holocaust play at the Thornhill City Playhouse (November 8). The White Rose play tells the story of

a group of German students who risk their lives to protest the actions of their fascist Government in

World War Two. A combination of grades 10 and 11 History students have also been invited to

attend the Board's annual Quest conference in late November focusing on achievement and well-

being. The students took part in a pre-conference at Markville Secondary where they presented

their vision of the ultimate school system. The History Department has also worked closely with the

Social Justice League to prepare for Thornhill's annual Remembrance Day Assembly to remember

those who have and still continue to represent us.

On Thursday November 7th, TSS held its annual Post Secondary School Fair. In total, 35 booths were set up to showcase

Ontario’s Universities and Colleges, as well as some specialty groups including the Carpenters Union and Latitude Global

Volunteering.

More than 600 people visited the TSS fair. It offered students an excellent opportunity to explore the many Ontario schools and

programs, and to ask targeted questions about specific programs to School Representatives. Many of our graduating students

took advantage of having their favourite schools in our gym. It was also a delight to see students from all grade levels attending

the fair this year.

The excitement and buzz could be felt throughout the gym as

our grade 12 students prepare for applying to post secondary

schools in the coming weeks. The evening was an absolute

success!!

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1 TSS PAW PRINTS PAGE 5

MUSIC DEPARTMENT WELCOMES GUEST CONDUCTOR The Thornhill Secondary Vocal Ensemble was very fortunate in having Ms. Suzanne Rigden as a guest clinician on October 31. She is a Montreal-based opera performer who was able to share her expertise and beautiful voice with our students. For two intense and entertaining hours she worked with our vocal students to help them to develop their technique. Who knew that hitting the high notes could be so easy? It was a very enjoyable and inspirational experience for all of our vocal students. MUSIC NIGHT It has been a very busy semester, performing at the Junior Awards and the Remembrance Day assembly. On November 26 the Music Department will be going on tour to the elementary schools to perform for them. We feel it is important to share our love of music with the community. Our music students hope to be an inspiration to the elementary students. We are very excited about our fall concert,

“Serenade” which will take place on Wednesday, December 11, 7:00 p.m. at the Thornhill United Church (right next door to the school), 25 Elgin Street, Thornhill. This church is known for its wonderful acoustics and cozy atmosphere. The concert will feature the entire Music Department including vocalists, guitarists, pianists, violinists, and our Symphonic Band. Come out and support our talented music students; we promise to entertain. Tickets will be on sale for $7.00 in advance and $10.00 at the door. Everyone is welcome. If you are interested in placing an ad in our program for a small donation, please contact Ms. Marianne Spilberg at 905-889-5453 Ext. 662 or Marianne.spilberg@yrdsb.edu.on.ca. We look forward to seeing you on December 11.

Visit TSS’ new and improved web site, http://thornhill.ss.yrdsb.ca

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 data-

bases that are important in providing

information for academic research—an extremely useful resource

throughout their high school career and IT’S FREE!

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A new year has begun at Thornhill and

some new and exciting progress has

been made in Restorative Approaches

and Student Success. Room 107 has been

designated as the Restorative and

Student Success Room and is staffed by

Mr. Clarke and Ms. Shepherd.

The Restorative Process and the Student

Success Room at Thornhill, allows

students a place to go when things just

aren’t the way they should be between

teacher-student, student-student,

student-community and student-home.

It’s an opportunity for a person to share

concerns, feel safe, and be

acknowledged while being in a

supportive environment.

Mr. Clarke and Ms. Shepherd are

interested in building, nurturing and

repairing relationships to ensure that

student life at Thornhill occurs in a

healthy learning and teaching

environment. We encourage students to

become accountable

and responsible for

their actions through

personal reflection

and to change the

system when it

contributes to the

harm.

Geography Department “What is where? Why there? Why care?”

Welcome Geographers to another school year! The questions of “what is where, why there, and why care” are used throughout our Geography program to encourage students to investigate the world around them and to critically think about their role in it!

Grade 9 Geographers have been examining Canada’s landscape – how it was formed, how it changes, and how we use it. In October, the students participated in an exciting field work excursion to the Kortright Centre on the Oak Ridges Moraine. During the day, students practiced their topographic map reading skills and viewed different types of alternative energies and a “sustainable” house first hand. We now shift focus to our energy and resource uses with an exciting Oil Sands simulation!

The Grade12 World Issues students have been busy investigating, discussing and problem-solving many contentious geopolitical events including the Syrian conflict and global food issues such as the looming hunger crisis in the Sahel region of Africa. We now shift our attention to global demographic and resource issues. The Grade 12 students also participated in a field work excursion to see the award-winning World Press Photos and to visit Amnesty International’s Toronto office. Students have used this excursion to help start their final “documentary” course project.

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Congratulations to Thornhill’s DECA

students who did an outstanding job at this year’s Regional competition.

We had an outstanding 21 ribbon holders including first and second

place medals. Thank you to all students who participated. We are

looking forward to the Provincial competition taking place downtown at

the Toronto Sheraton Centre on February 10-11, 2014. This two-day

competition will allow students to compete in their chosen category,

participate in written events category and provide students with excellent opportunities to network and meet industry

leaders. Achievement at the Provincials will determine who will compete in their

categories at the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) the first week in May 2014 in Atlanta, Georgia.

In anticipation of the Provincial competition in February 2014 and ICDC, we

welcome financial sponsorship from our community partners. If parents are

interested in making contributions or volunteering their time to support DECA by

acting as competition judges, please contact Mr. Beswick or Mrs. Del Bianco in

the Business Studies Department.

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.

Canadian Sr & Intermediate Thursday, November 21, 2013 Mathematics Contest 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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The statistics are staggering and the help is less than adequate. When our youth are suffering, there seems to be nowhere to turn. We all know this but what is being done about it? Taking place right in our midst is a huge movement with the youth in charge. Projects like Change the View, The Jack Project and even our own Mental Health Awareness Group, are trying to invoke change. After the tragic suicide of his son, a father pioneered The Jack Project. This initiative was started to promote mental health awareness and to motivate teens into action. The number of people in the world who have committed suicide is now approaching 1 million, and 97% of them had a mental health issue. Suicide is the number one cause of death in teens, and mental health is the number one concern in our teens. Around the world 10 teens commit suicide each day. The link between mental health and suicide is crucial. We cannot explore the reasons for suicide without including mental health issues. So how do we start talking about mental health issues? We start with a small circle which may include family, people with whom you are close, a friend or even your classmates. Be observant and watch for change! Observing change in behaviour is the key to suspicions that there may be a mental health issue; trust your instincts. If you suspect that someone is contemplating suicide you need to ask the question, “Are you considering hurting yourself?” This may be difficult for you to do, but it can be life saving. If answer to the question is “yes”, you know that professional help is needed. We need to be courageous with our questions in order to end the silence. The following links will take you to more resources for mental health awareness, how to talk to your children, as well as where and how children can find help. It’s time to learn how we can all help one another. The Jack Project: http://www.thejackproject.org/ Great resources and tip sheets for parents and teens. Children’s Mental Health: http://www.kidsmentalhealth.ca/ Resources for teens, parents and teachers. Please contact a member of the Student Success Team in Room 107, or a member of the Guidance Department as need be.

CONGRATS AWARD WINNERS The Markham African Caribbean Canadian Association’s

(MACCA’s) annual Scholarship and Awards Ball was held on

November 2, 2013. Two of our Alumni were among nineteen

students from across York Region who were honored with

scholarships worth One Thousand Dollars each. Our congratulations

to the MACCA and to our recent graduates Alana Changoor and

Julia Levy (photo- 3rd and 4th from left, respectively).

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