LOOKING AHEAD

Thornhill Secondary School

PAW PRINTS

VOLUME 9 ISSUE 1 November 2017

INSIDE Page(s)

History 2

Computer Science Dept 2

English Department 3

Community Service Hours 3

OSSLT 4

OSAP Update 4

Geography Department 5

Community Based Ed Update 6

High Performance Athlete 7

Dramatic Arts 8

Thornhill Athletic Council 9

Alternative Education Dept 10

Nov 23 Semi Formal Nov 24 PA Day Nov 28 Full Disclosure Dec 11 Music Night Dec 25-Jan 5 Winter Break Jan 8 Classes Resume Jan 17 & 18 Gr 9 EQAO Math Jan 18 School Council Jan 25 –31 Exams

Thornhill Secondary School 167 Dudley Avenue

Thornhill, ON L3T 2E5

Telephone: 905.889.5453 Fax: 905.889.0360

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

Administration David McAdam, Principal

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

Superintendent of Schools Rashmi Swarup

Trustee Susan Geller

School Council Co-Chairs Anna Sit and Tal Granite

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Greetings to all members of the Thornhill family. Whether you joined

recently or are a seasoned member, I trust the 2017-2018 school year has got

off to a great start for you. As a learning community, we are very proud of

our students’ academic performance. Last year, there was a pass rate of

approximately 97% on courses attempted. The Class of 2017 included 243

students, 73% of whom were Ontario Scholars (having attained an average

of 80% or better on their top six Grade 12 courses).

When you add up the high level of our curricular program (academics,

athletics, music and arts, technological studies) and the array of co-curricular

activities, it becomes clearer why Thornhill is such a great place in which to

learn and grow. I appreciate the perseverance and commitment of

community partners, parents and staff members who continue to ensure our

many and varied successes.

This newsletter represents a glance into the first term of 2017-2018. I

congratulate everyone on the achievements reflected in the current Mid-

Semester Report. I also challenge each Tiger to consistently work to the best

of your ability. Where results are lacking, I encourage parents and students

to explore improvement strategies which will best meet the apparent needs.

Our school staff is happy to support you in any way possible. Parents, please

keep in touch with your child’s teachers. Stay tuned to happenings at the

school via our weekly bulletin – which is e-mailed home and also posted on

the school website.

This is the final annual “welcome back” to the Class of 2018. As part of the

Grade 12 cohort, each of you has a special role in the Tigers’ Den: to model

wholesome leadership and character to the rest of the student body. Continue

to pursue excellence. Make this year the best yet, both for yourself, your

family and for our school community!

We are always seeking new ways to further enhance the learning experiences

and outcomes for our staff and students. The current year represents another

great opportunity in our school improvement journey. Our continuing,

intentional efforts to maximize student achievement and well-being are

anchored in these questions: How do we know what our students know or

are able to do? How might we best create and sustain mentally healthy

environments?

Unprecedented societal events remind us of the importance of quality public

education. The promotion of unity and care is crucial in our global

community. We re-double our commitment to the Board’s Mission “To

advance student achievement and well-being through public education,

which motivates learners, fosters inclusion, inspires innovation and builds

community.” It is with continued diligence, perseverance and flexibility that

we will realize the desired outcomes. Thanks to each and every one for your

team spirit and on-going collaboration to ensure success for all members of

our school. I wish you a very rewarding school year!

Sincerely,

David A. McAdam

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1 TSS PAW PRINTS PAGE 2

The History Department would like to welcome students back from

summer vacation and wish everyone a happy and successful year. We

would also like to recognize the efforts of those involved in the Remembrance Day

Assembly. You made our school proud! This year’s assembly was highlighted by the 100th

anniversary of the battles of Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele (Belgium) which concluded November

10, 1917. The History Department would also like to wish students who concluded the civics course

good luck in all of their courses; we salute you for all of the effort you displayed this half semester.

As we look to semester two we would like to share that on March 29, 2018 the grade 11 and 12

World History courses will be heading to the Royal Ontario Museum to tour the special Vikings

exhibit. We look forward to a great winter and wish everyone a wonderful winter break.

Computer Studies Department

The Computer Studies Department hosted the University of Waterloo Beaver Computing

Challenge on November 8th. This is a contest for grade 9 and 10 students, in which they work to

solve 15 challenge questions in 45 minutes. The questions relate to computer science concepts,

but no experience in programming is required. The questions require general critical thinking,

logic, problem solving and math skills only.

To further support and enrich the student learning experience, the App Development Club, and the

Computer Programming Club, hold weekly meetings. The App Development Club meets on Mondays

and teaches students how to develop Android Apps. The Computer Club meets on Thursdays, and teaches introductory

coding to students who have little to no previous programming experience. They also teach advanced computer

programming concepts that provide an important foundation for those students who are interested in competing in

the many contests that are available to high school students.

For the third year in a row, a bus full of Thornhill Secondary School students will be travelling to the University of

Waterloo for the CS4U Day on December 6th. The students will have the opportunity to attend 3 lectures given by

professors on topics of Computational Complexity, Cryptography, and Computer Analysis of Brain Functioning.

Following the lectures, the students will tour the campus and have the opportunity to talk to university students as

well as faculty members.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND LONG-TERM CARE

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care is releasing additional resources ahead of the January 1, 2018, launch of OHIP+: Children and Youth Pharmacare. On the ministry’s website (health.gov.on.ca/ohipplus_resources), you will find the following documents for downloading and printing:

Factsheet for patients/families

Postcards (available in 14 languages)

Social media posts Through this program, Ontarians aged 24 years and younger, who are OHIP insured, regardless of their family income, will be eligible for over 4,400 medications and drug products at no cost.

If you have any questions about OHIP+, please send an email to OHIPplus@ontario.ca. For more information, please visit: Ontario.ca/OHIPplus.

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1 TSS PAW PRINTS PAGE 3

English Department:

The English Department is committed to providing students with quality instruction that encourages them

to become critical thinkers and problem-solvers. In collaboration with the library, ENG3U/L students

inquired into social justice issues in literature to develop a Google Site where they engaged in an elevator

pitch to demonstrate their thinking. Students completed a questionnaire after the assignment and the data

spoke volumes: almost 70% of students preferred the Google Site assignment to other assignments they have done

for English

the majority of the students found the collaboration with the library very helpful in choosing texts to

feature on their site

Opportunities for Writing:

There are many extracurricular activities to engage the prospective writer in you!

Name of Extra-

Curricular

Activity

Teacher

Supervisor

Type of Student

Contribution

Slam Poetry Mr. Baerg

English Dept.

Rm 208/106

Writing support,

sharing with peers,

YRDSB

competitions

“Eye of the Tiger”

Student Newspaper

Ms. Lengyell

English Dept.

Rm 201/213

Journalism writing,

production, editing,

photography, etc.

Writing Club Ms. Swan

English/Drama

Dept.

Rm 213/Drama Lab

Writing for

creativity, contests,

and scholarships

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

Completion of Community Involvement Activities form, or visit YRDSB Community Involvement Information.

Search for volunteer activities that meet the criteria on the

eligible list.

Complete the Notification and Completion of Community

Involvement Activities form for PRE-APPROVAL.

Complete your volunteer placement.

Submit the completed form to Thornhill Secondary School’s

Guidance Secretary

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1 TSS PAW PRINTS PAGE 4

ONTARIO STUDENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM UPDATE (OSAP) Students will be able to apply for OSAP at the same time that they do their

college and university applications through the central application services.

There will be a button at the bottom of the application that will allow students

to set up a link between OUAC/OCAS and OSAP. Setting up a link allows

certain profile fields and program-specific information to be prefilled with

information from the student’s OUAC/OCAS account.

If students apply now, they can set up a link to OSAP and fill out their profile

information. They’ll be sent an email once the

OSAP application is launched, asking them to come

back and complete their application, similar to last

year’s process.

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1 TSS PAW PRINTS PAGE 5

Geography Department “What is where? Why there? Why care?” and “What to do?” Welcome Geographers to another school year from your teachers Mrs. Earle, Mr. Tam and Mr. Patel!

The questions of “what is where, why there, and why care” and “what to do?” 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 started the course using their digital mapping skills to locate places in Canada and

digital tools such as Google “My Maps” to examine Canada’s landscape – how it was formed, how it

changes, and how we use it. We are now shifting our focus to Canada’s key industries and resource

management issues such as freshwater, energy and climate change. Future geographic explorations will

focus on Canadian population dynamics and how we can plan more liveable and sustainable communities.

We have started this investigation when classes recently embarked on a walking tour in Toronto to observe

the revitalized communities of Regent Park, Corktown and the Distillery District.

Students in the Grade 11 Travel and Tourism course have been analyzing visitor patterns and trends,

components of the tourism industry, and discussing how the Caribbean has been impacted by recent

hurricanes. Some of our “virtual travels” have taken us to the Caribbean and to an eco-tourism destination -

Costa Rica. Students also recently explored popular local destinations on their Great Tour of Toronto field

trip! Our next destinations? Get ready for take-off to the African savanna and to emerging destinations in

Asia. Pack your bags!

Grade 12 World Issues students have been researching, analyzing and discussing current geopolitical

events and issues such as the Rohingya migration crisis. Students showcased their learning about global

population issues through their powerful and thought-provoking PhotoVoices. Students recently had the

opportunity to visit and view the World Press Photo exhibit. What’s next? Further discussions and problem-

solving of world issues relating to: global food

supply, freshwater and globalization.

PAGE 6 TSS PAW PRINTS VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1 TSS PAW PRINTS PAGE 7

PAGE 8 TSS PAW PRINTS VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1

Thornhill Dramatic Arts

The Drama Department has been busy with our theatre trips this

semester. On October the 11th we took the Grade 11 class to see “The

Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time”. The play was based on

the Mark Haddon novel of the same name and was a mesmerizing

experience for the students. The use of staging and technology brought to life a fascinating

story from the perspective of an unusual teenager.

On October the 25th the Grade twelve Drama students

went to the Panasonic Theatre to see David French’s

“Salt Water Moon”. This play was an intense relationship drama about love, loss and

struggle in the 1920’s Canadian Eastern coast. In J. Kelly Nestruck’s review - “This

dreamlike, minimalistic revival of the Canadian classic deserves to sit up there with other

recent raved-about re-imaginings of American ones – like John Tiffany's takes on Tennessee

Williams's The Glass Menagerie, or Ivo van Hove's production of Arthur Miller's A View from

the Bridge.” Two very successful shows which demonstrate that theatre still has the

power to move you.

We encourage all students to obtain a Vaughan and/or Mark-

ham Public Library card. The Markham and Vaughan Public

Libraries give students access to online databases that are im-

portant in providing information for academic research—an

extremely useful resource throughout their high school career

and

IT’S FREE!

PAGE 9 TSS PAW PRINTS VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1

The Thornhill Athletic Council (TAC) started the year by welcoming the new incoming tigers on Grade 9 Day! After their first day of classes in high school, our grade nines were invited to the gym for the safe schools assembly, then they participated in activities prepared by TAC. Unfortunately, due to the rain, activities were moved inside but Athletic Council members were still able to ensure it was a memorable day in spite of it. Our tigers rotated between stations in which they played games such as Atom, Squirt, and Hula Hoop Tic Tac Toe. TAC hopes all grade nines had a fun and unforgettable first day of high school; welcome again and we hope you have a great time at TSS!

Following Grade 9 Day, TAC organized our Terry Fox event. Our school managed to raise $2432.49 in donations, great job Tigers! The top three classes were Mr. Zinman’s class with $152.50, Ms. Retsos’s class with $161.70, and finally, our winner, Ms. Therrien’s class with $230.60 who won a free breakfast! Our Terry Fox Run was on September 28th with all our classes participating in the walk, and a number of students running, including our Girls Field Hockey Team! This has also been Thornhill Secondary School’s 20th year participating in the Terry Fox Run, and on October 19th, the Terry Fox Foundation presented our school with a pennant commemorating that fact. They also gave a small presentation on where our funds have gone, and exactly how our school and others like ours have contributed to cancer research. In the 1970’s, when Terry Fox first contracted osteogenic sarcoma, more commonly known as bone cancer, his chance of survival was 20%. Now, 40 years later, that chance of survival has become 80%. The treatment for this cancer has also changed quite drastically, patients today would not receive a prosthetic, in fact, they would look exactly the same as they always did. Our donations are a part of how these changes have come to be; it’s been 20 years Tigers, and let’s hope we have as many more as needed to conquer cancer in our lifetime!

TAC also had its semi-annual silent auction on Parents’ Night, October 19th. The purpose of our auction is to raise money for athletics to buy uniforms, equipment, fund our year-end Athletic Banquet, and so on. The items in our silent auction were donated from businesses near our school, ranging from local businesses such as Golden Star and various shops at World on Yonge, to companies like Goodlife Fitness and Imagine Cinemas. The auction was a great success, raising over $300! The Athletic Council thanks all the businesses that donated as well as everyone who participated in and supported the auction!

Our athletes have also been working hard, and the year’s only just started! We’ve had different teams from junior boys volleyball, to golf, to girls field hockey, and a few of the coaches had some things to say to their athletes! Our tennis team had two productive tournaments this season! Congratulations to Marko Stojanovic, Daniel Tsipris, Lauryn Son, and Yann Fosso Kitio who made it to semifinals, and a big congratulations goes out to Teo Tanasescu who won the Open Junior Girls YRAA tournament! Great job to everyone this season, we look forward to next year! We’d also like to thank the girls on our Field Hockey team who improved with each and every practice and game. Special mention to the graduating team members, our rookie goalie Michelle Saltoun, and last but not least, our co-captains Maddie Fischer and Julia Rawson for their hard work and leadership. The team was very hardworking and had great laughs. See you next year!

Thornhill Athletic Council believes that this has been a great start to the year, and we know the rest of it will be

just as amazing with events such as Movember and the upcoming Dodgeball and Badminton Intramurals.

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1 TSS PAW PRINTS PAGE 10