matthew mcnair secondary school newsletter

“A great place to learn”

MCNAIR NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2016

MATTHEW MCNAIR SECONDARY SCHOOL

NEWSLETTER HOME OF THE MARLINS -‐‑ ESTABLISHED IN 1974

Principal: Mr. J. Leslie Address: 9500 No 4 Road, Richmond, BC, V7A 2Y9 Vice Principals: Mr. M. Jaswal & Ms. D. Ten-‐‑Pow Phone: 604-‐‑668-‐‑6575 Fax: 604-‐‑668-‐‑6585 PAC: Mr. K. Chana Early Warning: 604-‐‑295-‐‑6497 Trustee Liaison: Mr. K. Hamaguchi Twitter: @McNairMarlins

Website: http://mcnair.sd38.bc.ca

Mid-Semester Report Cards and Parent-teacher Conferences As indicated on the School Calendar, Mid-Semester Report Cards will be sent home on November 10th. Parent-Teacher Conferences will occur on November 16 (2-4 PM) and 17 (2-4 PM and 6-8 PM). To sign up for appointments, please go to the following link: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0f44a9aa2baafc1-‐parent1

If you are not comfortable leaving information on this site, you can call the school at (604) 668-6575 to book your appointments with our clerical team. We look forward to meeting with as many parents as possible on November 16th and 17th.

Principal’s message: As the half-way point of first semester approaches, the people who make up McNair seem comfortable, engaged and fully immersed in the learning activities that make the school such a great place to work and learn. In fact, just last week, in a conversation with a few different staff members, a comment was made that “the school has a very positive ‘vibe’ right now”, and it is true. Students are as friendly as ever, staff are enjoying working with each other and the students and the energy in the building is overwhelmingly positive.

Highlights from October include a terrific Breaking Down the Walls seminar from October 5-7. Dean Whellams led our students through three inspiring days designed to help bring our students closer together and understand each other’s stories. The students who participated called the sessions “life-changing” and “the best thing we have done at school”.

Other highlights from October included Interim Reports being sent home, a wonderful Thanksgiving long weekend, our world-famous Haunted House and the great efforts being displayed by our athletics teams.

November promises to be another great month as we have our Mid-Semester Report Cards coming home, our spectacular Remembrance Day ceremony and Parent Teacher Conferences. We look forward to meeting with and making connections with all of the stakeholders in the McNair community.

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Take Our Kids To Work On Wednesday, November 2nd, Grade 9 students all across Canada will get the opportunity to go to work with a parent or family member. Over 250,000 students take part every year and this is a chance for students to see what goes on in their parents work lives as well as become inspired toward potential career options. We encourage all of our Grade 9 students and their parents to get involved in this program. In order for your child to participate, please ensure that they have completed the permission form available at http://mcnair.sd38.bc.ca/news/2016/10/15/take-our-kids-work and return it to the office ASAP. More information about the program is available at: http://www.thelearningpartnership.ca/what-we-do/student-programs/take-our-kids-to-work

Subscribe to the McNair Secondary School Website The school website has been completely updated this year and contains a wealth of information about McNair Secondary School, including our School and Athletics calendars. All McNair families are encouraged to bookmark http://mcnair.sd38.bc.ca and add it to their Favourites folder and check the website weekly. We have also added a new feature this year and you have the option of subscribing to our website. If you subscribe, you will receive an email when anything new is added to the main page or when a monthly school newsletter is published. Check it out today!

Protect Personal Belongings The best defense against acts of theft is to not bring valuable items to school. Protect your belongings and do not leave money or other valuables in an unattended bag, locker or changing room. Students should LEAVE VALUABLES AT HOME!

PAC Meetings The McNair PAC executive invites you to attend PAC meetings held on the second Tuesday of the month in the conference room. These meetings provide an overview of what is happening at school and an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback. Our next PAC meeting is scheduled for November 8th at 7:00 p.m.

Class Attendance Attendance is taken in each class during the day. If a student is absent or late first period and the school has not been notified, the school will phone home. If a student is missing from a later class but was at school earlier in the day, you may be telephoned by an administrator, teacher, or counsellor. Also, a recorded voice message is sent home at the end of the school day through our Synrevoice System. Regular attendance is necessary for successful learning, which is the primary goal we share with our students and their families, regardless of whether they are in Grade 8 or Grade 12.

Follow McNair Secondary School on Twitter Please stay connected to our school and join the over 550 students, parents, alumni and community members who are already following McNair on Twitter! This is a great way to get short reminders and updates of all that is happening at McNair Secondary. Twitter is easy to use from your smart phone or computer and is a very popular social medial platform used by millions of businesses, universities, news agencies and community organizations in Richmond, Canada and throughout the world. Follow us: @McNairMarlins

MCNAIR SECONDARY SCHOOL DATES: (Please check the calendar on the school website regularly)

October 31 Halloween November 2 Collaboration Day (9:45 start) November 2 Take Your Kids to Work Day (Grade 9) November 3 We Day Vancouver November 6 Daylights Savings (set clocks back 1 hour) November 8 PAC Meeting (7 PM) November 9 SFU Info Day November 10 Report Cards issued November 10 Remembrance Day Ceremony November 11 Remembrance Day (school closed) November 15 Post Secondary Fair (10AM – 11:30AM) November 16-17 Parent Teacher Conferences November 18 Pro-D Day (school closed) November 24 Dry Grad Meeting (7PM) November 25 Grade 12 Winter Formal

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Terry Fox Run On Thursday, September 29th, McNair hosted its annual Terry Fox run in honour of the great Canadian hero, Terry Fox. This year’s run was the 36th anniversary of Terry’s Marathon of Hope. The Terry Fox Foundation is still raising money towards cancer research and is now

close to $700 million dollars. This incredible legacy is one that has touched many lives, and McNair was proud to be a part of it. Special thanks go out to Mr. Sangra and the Athletic Council who organized the event. Also worth mentioning are all of our 830 students who participated and each of the staff who went out and helped supervise and set a great example. Our efforts raised almost $500. Well done, Marlins!!

Grade 12 Information On October 26th, McNair hosted an information night for Grade 12 parents. Organized by Mrs. Bagnall and Mr. Leslie, this evening was attended by over 70 parents of Grade 12 students who had questions about Graduation Requirements, Scholarship Applications, Post-Secondary Admissions and the Major Events in the Graduation year. The Grade 12 year is an incredibly important time in a child’s life and there are many milestones and important events. It is very important to help your child maintain balance in their lives, ensuring that they eat well, get enough sleep, exercise and manage to balance the academic demands and the social opportunities that come with the last year of high school. If you have questions about how to help your child, be sure to contact the school and ask to speak with their Counselor. The first major Grad Event is coming up in November. The Winter Formal dinner/dancing is being hosted on Friday, November 25th at the Paradise Banquet Hall in Delta. This evening of fun, food, and dancing will bring the class together for the first of several big events and promises to be a great time. Grad Council will be selling tickets as of November 2nd for $50 in the fishbowls, so be sure to get yours and be part of the fun! There will be a Post Secondary Institutions BC Minifair Event at McNair Secondary on November 15, 2016. Various BC Post-Secondary institutions (SFU, UVic, Langara, Trinity Western, KPU, VCC to name a few) will be at McNair from 10:00am - 11:30am. Also coming up in November will be a TVR assembly. This is where Counselors will give students a report that shows all courses and marks they have taken towards graduation. It is very important that students look over this document very carefully so we can correct any mistakes.

Register Your Bike Bike thefts have long been a problem all across the Lower Mainland, and Richmond is no exception. In recent weeks, we have had 4 bike thefts at McNair and we suspect that the person responsible is an adult (not a McNair student). While we are in the process of having surveillance cameras installed (they hope to working at McNair soon), we also encourage all students to get their bicycles registered with the new bike theft program that has been initiated by the Vancouver Police Department. Project 529 is something that services the entire lower Mainland and we suggest you register your bike with this program. To learn more and register you bicycle, please go to this site: https://project529.com/garage/users/sign_in

New Curriculum Hopefully, parents are aware that changes are happening to curriculum and reporting in all schools in British Columbia. At McNair Secondary, the changes are happening this year in Grades 8 and 9 and they will be in place next year for Grade 10-12. Our teachers are committed to studying, discussing and implementing the changes in steady, thoughtful steps. Parents are encouraged to read and learn more about the changes online at https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca

The Ministry is also considering changes to report cards and how schools inform parents on their child’s progress. All parents are invited to participate in an online survey to provide input: http://engage.gov.bc.ca/yourkidsprogress/en/home/

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ERASE Bullying The safety of all who work and learn in schools is an important topic in all school communities. Bullying is a term that is very common in the media and in all aspects of society. The Ministry of Education has developed a thoughtful strategy for schools called ERASE-Expect Respect and a Safe Education. These are not new ideas and conversations at McNair. We continue to promote the ideas of SAFE, CARING and RESPCTFUL treatment of themselves, each other, the school and our community. We speak repeatedly at our Grade 8 Retreat, Grade Assemblies and in our classes about making positive connections with each other and helping one another out. Any time students or parents have concerns about mistreatment, please encourage your child to speak with a teacher, Counselor or Administrator. We will treat all issues confidentially and seriously. We want to make school as comfortable and welcoming as we can for all our students. Some resources that may help parents deal with these issues include: http://www.erasebullying.ca, http://www.cyberbullying.ca, and https://needhelpnow.ca/app/en/.

McNair Dry Grad 2017

What is a Dry Grad? A Dry Grad is a lively, informal event which follows the Grad Dinner/Dance on June 27. This is an alcohol-free and drug-free event where the grads enjoy a safe place to celebrate. The participating students are bussed directly from their formal Dinner/Dance downtown to the McNair Gym. The event runs late into the night (ending by 5 am). It’s a fun-filled atmosphere where the grads enjoy good food, refreshments, music and many forms of entertainment and activities.

Help is needed by parents for.....donations, fundraising and organizing the dry grad event.

Next Dry Grad meeting is November 24 (Thursday) at 7pm at the school. Join us and bring your ideas for making a great dry grad event for our kids.

Please visit the school website to access the donation letter http://mcnair.sd38.bc.ca/parents/mcnair-dry-grad Drop off your empty bottles/cans at Ironwood Bottle Depot and request to deposit funds in McNair Dry Grad 2017 Account # 256.

To contact Dry Grad committee, email us at [email protected]

Dry Grad Bottle Drive & Clothing Donation

To: ALL GRADE 12’s and PARENTS

Please return your bottles for recycling to the Bottle Return It Depot located near Ironwood Plaza. This is a fundraiser for

the Dry Grad After Party.

Please quote account #256 McNair School when handing your bottles back to ensure this is deposited in our account.

Return It Depot

Unit #110 -11020 Horseshoe Way, behind The Keg

There is also a Big Brother clothing bin on the front corner of the school which gives us a percent of proceeds collected. Go thru your closets and get rid of any unwanted clothing. Drop

off at the bin when you come to school. They will take clothing in good condition, shoes, boots, linens, bedding,

towels, draperies and curtains.

** Items cannot be soiled or torn and must be suitable for resale

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Halloween celebrations on October 31st Halloween is a time when people of all ages dress up and have some fun. The RCMP will be out in force to ensure all people have the opportunity to enjoy the evening without being afraid or worried about acts of vandalism. Have fun, but remember, the most important thing is that people are safe!

Remembrance Day Ceremony McNair has a proud tradition of putting together very inspiring and moving Remembrance Day ceremonies. This year’s ceremony will be performed on Thursday, November 10th and parents and community members are welcome to attend. Mrs. Watts and the Senior Acting classes, alongside Ms. Berman and the Music students will be putting together some fitting tributes as we acknowledge all those who have had their lives impacted by war and those who have sacrificed so much for the freedoms we now enjoy. Parents are welcome to attend our school ceremony in the large gym at approximately 10:30 on Thursday, November 10th.

Haunted House! The Stagecraft 11 and 12 classes along with the Acting 12 class were busy creating another spooky Haunted House this year! The Haunted House opened on Friday Oct 28th during Blocks B and C as well as break and part of lunch.

Breaking Down the Walls Congratulations need to go out to all the students and staff who participated in our recent Breaking Down the Walls seminars. On October 5th, Dean Whellams from Learning for Living led our entire school through two assemblies about making connections and listening to each other’s stories. The assemblies were very powerful, and following those, he led 60 student leaders through an afternoon of training. On both October 6th and 7th, 30 student leaders and 7 staff members led 150 student-participants through a day-long seminar about how to make better connections with each other and provide better support and understanding to one another. The experience was extremely valuable for everyone involved. We are looking forward to keeping the momentum going in the future as we try to build upon all that was learned in the seminars.

Take Our Kids to Work Wednesday, November 2nd is national Take Our Kids to Work Day. Grade 9 students from all across Canada will have the opportunity to go to work with a parent or family friend. This is a very popular and successful program that has been in existence since 1994. We strongly encourage all Grade 9 students to take the day to learn more about the world of work by attending this day with a parent or family friend. Forms are due by Monday, October 31st, and can be printed off the internet on the link below.

http://mcnair.sd38.bc.ca/sites/mcnair.sd38.bc.ca/files/attachments/Sat%2C%202016-10-15%2012%3A26/Take%20Our%20Kids%20to%20Work%20-%20%20Consent%20Form.pdf

Please complete the form and submit to the main office ASAP.

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CBC (Courtyard Beautification Committee) RAFFLE FOR GIFT BASKET

CBC is fundraising for a living wall for the existing courtyard by having a raffle for each basket.

One basket will have 2 movie ticket passes, 3 McNair shirts, 1 pair of McNair sweatpants, chocolates, candies, mugs, touque, mitts, and earbuds. Total value of this basket is over $150. Each raffle ticket is only $2 or $5 for 3 tickets or $10 for 7 tickets.

The 2nd basket will have a total value of over $200 with an Air Canada Travel card valued at $100, a 40 oz bottle of Tequila, a bottle of Layer Cake Wine, Margarita Mix, Starbucks coffee and mugs.

Each raffle ticket is only $2 or $5 for 3 tickets or $10 for 7 tickets.

If anyone is interested in supporting our courtyard’s Living Wall project, please email Catherine Liu, teacher, at <[email protected]>

CBC (Courtyard Beautification Committee) POINSETTIA FUNDRAISER 6 inch with foil and all taxes included only $12 (available colors: Red, White, Marble, or Pink) 10 inch (huge pot with 3 plants in 1 pot) with foil and all taxes included only $30 (available colors: Tri-color (red, white, pink), All Red, All White, All Pink, or All Marble) All proceeds will go to the purchase of a living wall for the existing courtyard for all students to enjoy. If interested in purchasing poinsettias, please send an email to Catherine Liu <[email protected]> with your order. Delivery will be the first week of December....pick up at McNair Secondary. CBC thanks everyone for the support!

McNair Fall Athletics The Fall Athletics season has been a great success so far as all of our Volleyball teams are enjoying success, most specifically our Senior Girls, who are currently in second place in Richmond with only one loss. Our Senior Boys Soccer Team is also enjoying a tremendously successful season, having finished second in Richmond in league play and is now entering the Lower Mainland Championships as Richmond #1, hoping to qualify for the Provincial Championships. Our Cross Country Team has also had a successful season, with Bailey Brodie finishing 6th in the Lower Mainlands and qualifying for the Provincial Championships.

In the upcoming Winter session, McNair will be offering 8 basketball teams and we are looking forward to great success and fantastic opportunities for all of our students. Keep your eyes peeled and ears open as try-outs for each of these teams should get started in early November.

Theatre Auditions for Theatre McNair’s production of The Lion King are well underway. Over 120 students have auditioned for the play and we are currently in the process of calling actors back. We hope to have the play cast by the beginning of November with rehearsals beginning the first week of December.

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MCNAIR NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2016 Career Check out the new website: SD38careercentre.weebly.com.

All new information is posted on the Home – New Info page. The calendar is a very important tool on this website as dates from the “Home - New Info” section are recorded here. The other sections will help students in their search for career direction, how to navigate their way through the post-secondary application process in a timely fashion and also how to find scholarships.

Visit Ms. Hudson’s Facebook page as well for updates: www.facebook.com/MsHudsonCareerCentreNews

Drop in to see Ms. Hudson, Career Advisor, in the Career Centre Mon – Fri from 11:15 to 3:15

EducationPlannerBC EducationPlannerBC is new and is a comprehensive post-secondary British Columbia resource for students. The site highlights education and career options in all aspects of: • Planning • Searching • Applying

Visit: https://www.educationplannerbc.ca/ University/College Visits to McNair BCIT – Fri Oct 28 at lunch in the Library Western University – Tues Nov 1 at lunch in the Library Simon Fraser University – Wed Nov 9 at lunch in the Library University of Alberta - Mon Nov 21 at lunch in the Library Post-Secondary Fair - Tues Nov 15 from 10am-11:30am in the main hall at McNair When Do University/College Applications Open? Colleges accept applications on a first-come first-served basis. Universities operate on an application deadline basis. SEPT 1 – Vancouver Community College SEPT 15 – Emily Carr University OCT 1 – Douglas College OCT 1 – Langara College NOV 1 - Kwantlen Polytechnic University NOV 15 – BCIT University Application Deadlines JAN 15 - University of British Columbia FEB 1 to MAR 1 – University of Northern BC (depending on Program) FEB 28 - Simon Fraser University FEB 28 - University of Victoria JAN 15 – Emily Carr University MAR 31 – Capilano University MAY 31 – Thompson Rivers University Online Application for Admission to BC Colleges and Universities Students may apply directly to a specific institution or use the Apply section in EducationPlannerBC. If using Education Planner, after completing the first application, students select the next institution and the personal/contact information and academic history will automatically be filled in. https://www.educationplannerbc.ca/

Online Application for Admission to Alberta Colleges and Universities • Use the Alberta Post-Secondary Application Service: https://applyalberta.ca

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Career (continued) Online Application for Admission to Ontario Universities

• Use the Ontario Application Service: http://www.ouac.on.ca/ouac-105/ • All other Post-Secondary Institutions: Check their websites for instructions

Post-Secondary (PSI) Choices Form Online Grade 12 students planning to attend post-secondary must fill out this online form at the following website: https://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/exams/tsw/tsw/student • This enables the Ministry to send student transcripts to the Post-Secondary institutions applied to. • Students must complete the PSI Selections form by March 1, 2017 to have preliminary transcript information forwarded in

mid-March to the BC Electronic PSIs list and to the Ontario Universities Application Centre (OUAC) institutions.

Partnership Between Langara College and Queen’s University Students can complete their first two years at Langara in Vancouver and then transfer directly in to one of 17 Arts or Sciences programs leading to a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, or Bachelor of Computing degree at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Langara students who have completed an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree will receive up to 57 units of transfer credit towards their Bachelor degree program at Queen’s. Applicants who have not completed the Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree will be considered for admission on a credit-by-credit basis, based on the assessment of transfer credits for the courses completed. The number of transfer credits granted will determine the year of study in to which the students are admitted.

Some Other Upcoming Events This is not an exhaustive list. Make sure that you visit SD38careercentre.weebly.com and use the calendar to find upcoming events.

Nov 7/16 –Volunteer - RCMP Youth Advisory Committee - Application Deadline The RCMP is looking for youth between the ages of 14 and 18 who have something to say about the issues facing young people today, to get involved and be part of the conversation. They are looking for youth to join its YAC (Youth Advisory Committee). For an application, email: [email protected]

NOV 08/16 and FEB 09/16 The SD38 District Career Programs Education in Action Series The Career Programs office is offering an opportunity for grades 8-11 students to spend a morning in the Professional Cook or Plumbing ACE IT programs. Students will work alongside current ACE IT students and instructors and experience first-hand what it would be like to take a college training program while in high school! Space is limited and priority will be given to those in grades 10 and 11. Workshops will be held on November 8, 2016 and February 9, 2017. For details and to register visit: http://careerprograms.sd38.bc.ca/students

NOV 16/16 BCIT - BIG Info Night - http://commons.bcit.ca/biginfo/

NOV 23/16 Explore Capilano Info Night 6:00-8:30 pm

Vancouver Police (VPD) 2016 Information Sessions. Information Sessions are held at 10:00 a.m. November 12 December 10 Registration is not required. Information Sessions are held in the auditorium of the Justice Institute of B.C. Police Academy. The JIBC is located at 715 McBride Boulevard in New Westminster. For details, visit: http://vancouver.ca/police/recruiting/police-officers/information-sessions.html NOV 28/16 – SHAD SUMMER EXPERIENCE - Application deadline SHAD offers a one-month in-residence program each July across our Canadian host university campuses for 700 students (approximately 50 students per campus) who are in Grades 10, 11, and 12. This unique program focuses on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) disciplines, with the goal of helping exceptional students envision their extraordinary potential as tomorrow's leaders and change makers. For more information and to apply: http://www.shad.ca/apply

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