LOOKING AHEAD
Thornhill Secondary School
PAW PRINTS
VOLUME 8 ISSUE 3 April 2017
INSIDE Page(s)
Physical Education 2
Mathematics Corner 3
Computer Science 3
Drama 4
ESL 4
School Climate Survey 4
English Department 5
Character Matters 5
SIPSA Focus: Equity 6
Empowered Student Partnership 7
Alternative Education 8
Geography Department 9
SHSM 9
Science Department News 10
May 4 School Council May 5 PA Day May 16 Music Night May 22 Victoria Day May 25 Prom June 1 School Council June 1 & 2 Drama Night June 6 Relay for Life June 8 Athletic Banquet June 20-23 & 27 Exams June 28 Graduation
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 Susan Eaton and Shirley Porjes Gupta
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Greetings! This newsletter coincides with the issuance of mid-
semester report card on April 24, 2017.
Hearty congratulations to all Tigers on your accomplishments.
The accompanying report card indicates the level of achievement
in each course, if students continue on their current path. This is a
crucial time in the academic year, especially if your child is not
meeting program expectations in specific courses. Our school staff
will be happy to assist you in further exploring supports which are
available. Consider collaborating with selected staff to design an
intervention plan to ensure success by the end of the semester. 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, kindly contact a member of the
Office Staff. The Response Form enclosed with the Report Card
should be signed and returned to the school by April 28, 2017.
The quest to optimize the well-being, learning and achievement of
our members continues to fuel our daily actions at T.S.S. One of
our primary foci is developing literate students of character. We
continuously strive to ensure that our students are engaged partners
in the teaching-learning process, and that they are strategically
prepared for the future, irrespective of their post-secondary
pathway. As a professional learning community, we are grateful
for the contributions of each of our members and partners to
developing critical thinking skills and sound character in our
various curricular and co-curricular programs.
Kudos to staff and students involved in the Ontario Secondary
School Literacy Test (OSSLT) on March 30! A big ‘thank you’
too, to parent-partners who supported students in preparing for the
OSSLT.
(continued on Page 2)
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Semester two is well under way and we
are all counting the days until we are
able to get out for some outdoor
activity. Our Fitness classes have been
able to take advantage of the warmer
weather by going out for runs in the
c o mmu n i t y. T h i s ye a r t h e
PAF2O8/3O8 students will be
completing their 5km run at
Downsview Park as part of the FitSpirit
program on May 24th. They will also
enjoy a one hour Zumba lesson and one
hour yoga class as part of the program. In support of the nutrition goals the students set at the
start of the semester, the class will also be attending a cooking class with the focus of healthy
breakfast preparation and post-workout meals. Looking forward to your creations!
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 daily in
class warm-ups, activities and games. Students will have a chance to meet their goal and
surpass some of the new records set in the May-round of fitness testing. Remember, every
little bit of activity helps.
The Grade 9 girls just finished their in school Self-Defence program which was held at the
school for 5 days. Instructor Adam Jones and Coach Dani demonstrated self-defence
techniques in a safe and controlled environment. The girls got to put all their learning to test
in a period of grappling. There were smiles all around!
The Grade 12 Leadership in Healthy Active Living students have been busy putting into
practice their emerging leadership skills. They have created and led fitness circuits for the
Grade 11 Healthy Active Living students and have just wrapped up hosting lunch time events
that focused on physical activity, nutrition, school spirit and mental health. The Leadership
students are currently in the middle of their mentoring experiences within the school
community. There will be more to come from this fine group.
We look forward to a great second half of the semester and many more successes in our
classes.
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE (continued from Page 1) We will celebrate the Class of 2017 on June 28. In anticipation of this special occasion, Grade 12 students are
reminded to ensure that the required 40 hours of Community Involvement are completed and reported by the
end of May.
On behalf of the Administration Team, I express thanks to each and every one for your continued commitment
to excellence, and your ongoing involvement in the
TSS community. It means a lot. All the best for Term
4!
Sincerely, David A. McAdam
Student Support Services We are hosting a seminar on April 24 at 10:30 -11:30 A.M. in the T.S.S. Library on how to apply for accommodations
in post-secondary institutions. Our guest speaker is from University of Toronto. Please pick up a field trip form
outside of Room 109 and let your SERT know that you plan
to attend.
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The Mathematics Department has just completed administering all the
math contests for the scholastic year and the following students received
medals for obtaining the highest scores on the Waterloo contest:
Pascal Contest (Grade 9) : Sean Vaserman
Cayley Contest (Grade10) : Albert Ding
Fermat Contest (Grade 11) : Yuchen Xue
Last semester students wrote the Canadian Intermediate and Senior Math
Contest and the following students obtained the highest scores in the school and ranked within the top
10% in Canada: Rachel Lysenko, Ron Alesker, Albert Ding, Debarsie Dey, Haoran Zhu and Jessica Fan.
We continue to provide the junior and senior Math Club every Tuesday after school in Room 120. As
well, next month the AP exams will commence, we wish the very best to all our students !
Robotics Team Thornhill Secondary students competed in the York Region Skills Challenge for Robotics, held at Seneca college, for the first time. In this contest, teams of 4 students work to build two robots which need to pick up footballs and deliver them to targeted areas after navigating through a maze and over a ramp in order to score points. Our team consisting of Roy Shi, Ben Natra Ihilov, Elliot Tarnovsky, and Tristan Seixas placed 4th in the competition. As a result of entering this competition, the school received a grant from the board
which covered the cost of buying all of the Vex Robotics parts that we needed for the competition. Following the contest, a very generous parent donated money to support the robotics program at TSS and we were able to buy another full Vex Robotics classroom system! All this new equipment will be put to good use supporting curriculum delivery in the Computer Engineering courses.
Computer Science Department The University of Waterloo Canadian Computing Competition was held on February 15. This contest had thousands of participants from across Canada, and two Thornhill Secondary students, Joey Yu and Max Li placed in the top 20. These students have been invited to compete in the Canadian Computing Olympiad held at the University of Waterloo during the week of May 8th. We wish Joey and Max all the best in this high level competition. On March 31st, students from Thornhill Secondary School competed in the York Region Programming Competition. In this competition, teams of 4 students work to solve 4 computer science problems within a 3 hour time limit using one computer only. The team of Joey Yu, Liran Zheku, Alex Kurselli and Alon Djurinski placed 3rd out of 60 teams and now advances to the next round of competition including schools from across the GTA!
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What is the story in Drama? As we come to the midway point of the semester we tend to look both ways. We look back at what we have learned and look forward to everything that we still must achieve. It is good to be reflective because that sense of stillness is a healthy pause in the fast paced environment we live in. Ms Swan and Ms Clark are working to bring you the end of year play
- Ash Girl. This, too, is a reflective play considering themes of self-worth and identity. We have a stellar cast from all
age ranges and we are enjoying the experience of working with them. Come and see us at the beginning of June and applaud the substantial efforts of students to bring this “Cinderella story” to life. Break a leg!
Congratulations to all for a successful start to semester 2. The Thornhill ESL Department and the Hand in Hand Club are planning our celebration for Asian Heritage Month. The Asian Heritage Festival will be on Friday, May 19
th
during periods 3 & 4 in the Quad. Join us to celebrate art and culture from the many countries
of Asia! There will be art, food, music, games and many other activities. The TSS Heritage Band will perform as will other cultural groups. Come and get your photo with a traditional Asian character! Come on out and have fun! Good luck to everyone for the remainder of semester 2 – work hard and stay healthy!
SCHOOL CLIMATE SURVEY
YRDSB Survey for Parents/Guardians
The Board will be inviting parents/guardians to participate in a survey May 1-19, 2017. This survey provides an important opportunity for parent/guardian voice. Results will be used to guide planning to support student achievement and well-being.
You may complete the survey online or on paper. The online survey will be available in English. Paper surveys will be available from the school office in English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Farsi, Gujarati, Hebrew, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Sri Lankan Tamil, Urdu and Vietnamese. We value your input and encourage you to complete the survey. The information you provide will be anonymous, considered confidential and kept in strict accordance with all relevant legislation.
A link will be shared with you when it becomes available. Stay tuned to the weekly parent bulletin.
Regards, School Climate Survey Committee
VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1 TSS PAW PRINTS PAGE 5
English Department:
As always, the English Department is up to something fun! April was International Poetry Month and
Autism Awareness Month; it is also the birth month of Mr. William Shakespeare himself. To see how you
can celebrate and/or participate in these festivities, check out the English Department display case located
outside of the English Department in Room 213. There will be something new each month!
The English Department would also like to extend congratulations all students who wrote the OSSLT in
March. We encourage all students to continue to use the writing, metacognitive and mental health and
wellness strategies we teach for success on all high stakes assessments and evaluations.
Writing Contests & Field Trips: James Bartleman Indigenous Youth Creative Writing
Award: $2500 per recipient!
Deadline: May 31, 2017
For submission forms and more information visit:
ontario.ca/bartleman
Teacher Contact: Ms. Lengyell,
Classical Theatre Project’s production of Macbeth
Field trip date: Thursday, April 20th, 2017
Teacher Contact: Mr. Monteith,
Character Matters
March: Perseverance
We stick to a goal and work hard even in the face of obstacles and challenges. We complete all
tasks and assignments.
April: Integrity
We are truthful and sincere. We ensure consistency between what we say and what we do as
well as between what we believe and how we behave.
May: Courage
We face challenges directly. We seek help from others when necessary. We do the right thing
even when it may be unpopular. We are able to recognize risks and danger and do not take
unwise risks to gain the approval of those around us.
June: Optimism
We maintain a positive attitude. We look on the brighter side of situations. We are able to see
opportunities even in the face of adversity. We have hope for the future.
Thank you to the many students who demonstrate character on a daily basis at T.S.S.
“Knowledge earns you power, character earns you respect.” – Bruce Lee
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Empowered Student Partnerships
Throughout this school year, Empowered Student Partnerships
(ESP) has been constantly working to promote Unity for a Safer
Community at TSS. We work closely with staff, our student body, and the
York Region Police to advocate for a safe, inclusive, and welcoming
environment for all stakeholders within our community.
In partnership with the Alternative Education program, ESP has
been busy providing morning snacks and juice to TSS students
throughout the week to ensure everyone has a healthy start to their day.
In addition, ESP, in collaboration with the Photography Club, has been inquiring what
community means to our school by asking students and staff directly
through our recent Rise and Shine with ESP table event. Stay tuned for
our bulletin board (in Cafeteria) where we
will be sharing TSS’ many photographed
definitions. As this semester progresses, we
are looking to establish more initiatives
which promote Unity for a Safer Community.
All leaders who share our passion to listen to, engage and empower
members of our community are welcomed to come out to our meetings
every Monday after school in Room 214! Snacks are sometimes provided.
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Alternative Education A graduate from the Alternative Education program, Saeid
Eghdami, and students and teachers from ESP have partnered
to provide the Breakfast Program to students at Thornhill.
Funding was provided from York Region Food for Learning which
encourages high quality student nutrition programs. The Grab
and Go breakfast is available to all students before school with
high rates of students participating. There are approximately 100
students who come to the Cafeteria before school starts who
participate in the Grab and Go breakfast!!
Grab and go breakfast:
Meals are offered at the beginning of the school day
Runs 3-5 days per week
Three out of the 4 food groups are provided
Tyler Klein Hard at Work!!!! Recently, since the weather has been starting to warm up, I have been assisting a friend of mine with his
landscaping business. Being the assistant requires me to do most of the physical labour. A lot of my job
includes preparing and cleaning up sites for him. I assist in doing things
such as laying down soil, grass seed and mulch, yard cleaning, cutting
tree branches, digging holes, and other forms of general yard work. I work
as his extra set of hands in order to help my friend finish his jobs faster
and more efficiently. Some days I spend pushing around a wheelbarrow
full of soil and placing it in areas for my boss so he can start the job right
away, and some days might be as simple as just planting seeds or laying
down soil. For example, at a recent job, I spent the first part of my day
collecting and filling bags of yard waste and taking them out to the curb. I
then had to carry about 40 bags of mulch and 10 bags of soil from the
truck down into the backyard for my employer. I then laid them out along
the area we had to spread the mulch in and I assisted in raking and
evening out the mulch. Afterwards, I cleaned up the site and carried any
tools we needed for the job back to the truck. Due to all of the heavy lifting and physical work I go home
sore and feeling accomplished. I feel as if this job is a great experience for me where I can develop more
work and life skills, and am excited to work out in the nice weather and learn more about the trade so I can
even hopefully put what I’ve learned to work around my own house in the future.
We encourage all students to obtain a Vaughan and/or Markham
Public Library card. The Markham and Vaughan Public Librar-
ies give students access to online databases 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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Geography Department “What is where? Why there? Why care? What should we do?” 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! With Earth Day on April 22nd - we are now
shifting our attention towards the question “What should we do?” as global
citizens.
Grade 9 Geographers started their course using digital mapping skills to locate places in Canada and
geotechnologies to examine Canada’s landscape – how it was formed, how it changes, and how we use it.
Students have been busy celebrating Canada’s 150th Birthday by promoting the unique natural and physical
features throughout our country and National Parks. We have now shifted our focus to Canadian industries,
trade issues, management of key resources such as freshwater and energy and the impacts of climate change.
Throughout the units, students have been using the Google Classroom and digital tools such as Google
Drawings and “My Maps” to organize, access, and communicate their learning.
Students in the Grade 11 Travel and Tourism course have been analyzing visitor patterns, exploring tourist
attractions, and examined influential trends in the tourism industry. We have been discussing how travel
issues and events impact various regions in the world and the role of sustainable tourism and responsible
travelers. Some of our “virtual travels” have taken us through the
Caribbean and to an eco-tourism destination - Costa Rica where students
designed their own “eco-trail”. Students will have the unique opportunity
to get “behind the scenes” of
t o u r i s m i n d u s t r y
infrastructure at Billy Bishop
Airport and to lead their own
“Tour of Toronto” on an
upcoming field trip. Our next
destinations? Get ready for
take-off to the African
savanna and to emerging
destinations in Asia.
SHSM is a ministry-approved specialized program
that allows students to focus their learning on a
specific economic sector while meeting the
requirements to graduate from secondary school. It
also assists in their transition after graduation to
apprenticeship training, college, university or the
workplace.
Students who successfully complete an SHSM receive:
• an Ontario Secondary School Diploma with an embossed red seal
• an SHSM Record documenting their achievement
• formal recognition on their Ontario Student
Transcript.
TSS Business currently supports the Sports sHSM.
COMPLETE THE APPLICATION @ bit.ly/YRDSBSHSMapp
VOLUME 4 ISSUE 1 TSS PAW PRINTS PAGE 10
TSS Science Department News:
YRDSB Science Olympics: On May 3rd, twenty TSS students will compete in the annual YRDSB Science Olympics.
This event encourages and promotes skills and attitudes which prepare learners for success in the 21st century through
problem-based learning and inquiry. Student-teams work collaboratively to solve challenges in Physics, Biology and
Chemistry. Tasks are designed to build skills in literacy, numeracy and critical thinking as well as to enrich learning
and engage students. This year’s theme is Fun and Games! From a group of student volunteers, two Junior and two
Senior Teams were selected. Many thanks to Ms. E. Taylor and Mr. Salavati for organizing our teams.
University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) Engineering Visit - “Making engineering more inclusive”:
UOIT Engineering students will visit TSS in May to give an Introduction to Engineering presentation. TSS students
will participate in collaborative, hands-on activities and learn about the benefits of science education from UOIT
Engineering students. The program will focus on electric circuits—a key component of the grade nine science
curriculum. Students will design circuits using a breadboard, wires, LEDs and resistors. Once the tutorial is completed,
the class will complete a “Pitch Black” simulation as electrical engineers at Hydro One who are dealing with a
blackout. They will discuss the challenges of power outages and why some buildings in a city will still have power
compared to a residential area.
Reptilia will make another exciting visit to TSS with an assortment of live
creatures. Our grade 9 science students will have an opportunity to learn about
ecosystems, food webs and environmental concerns during this fun in-school field
trip.
Science After School Tutoring Club: Every Wednesday from 3:20 to 4:30 pm, students can drop by Rm. 124 for peer
Science Tutoring. No appointments is required and students can leave at any time.
Science Contests: The Grade 11 Avogadro Chemistry Contest will take place on Thursday May 18th. The University
of Waterloo (Grade 12) Chem13 Contest will be on May 11th. The University of Waterloo Sir Isaac Newton Physics
Contest will occur on Thursday, May 4th. Mr. Moscaritolo has been running after-school sessions to prepare for this
competition. The OAPT Grade 11 Physics Contest, sponsored by the University of Toronto – Electrical and Computer
Engineering Faculty, will happen on Wednesday, May 24th. The U of T National Biology Competition will take place
on Thursday April 27th. Field Trips: Grade 11 Biology students will be visiting Ripley's Aquarium. Way to Glow! Grade 12
Biology students will be visiting the Ontario Science Centre to learn about bacterial transformation. Bacterial
transformation is the process by which a bacterium takes up and expresses foreign genetic material (DNA),
thus acquiring a new trait(s). Students will be
able to insert the a GFP (Green Fluorescent
Protein) gene obtained from the bioluminescent
jellyfish Aequorea victoria, into the bacterium
Escherichia coli.
Future Health Professionals: This year more
than 40 TSS science students competed in the National Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA)
competition held in Toronto. Our students successfully competed in five events: Health Science, Health
Professions, Emergency Preparedness, Leadership, and Teamwork. HOSA aims to enhance the quality of
health education and the delivery of healthcare by
providing future health professionals with knowledge,
technical training and leadership development that
enables them to meet the ever-changing needs of the
health care community. Science Rules!
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Common Responses to Trauma
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Common Responses to Trauma