Honda Makes a Car DonationIn November 2017, Northern Secondary School students in Mr. Baker’s grades 11 & 12 technological design class, supported by the Near North District School Board, went on a field trip to the Honda Canada manufacturing plant in Alliston, Ontario. Our students visited the Honda plant and learned all about robotics, the manufacturing process and careers in the automotive industry. Lisa Cooper, Communications and Community Relations for Honda of Canada Manufacturing, contacted the school to inform us that Honda was donating a 2017 Honda Civic Si as well as two 4-cylinder turbocharged engine transmission assemblies to the school. “This tremendous donation will be of great benefit to the students in the years to come,” says principal Laurent Paquette. “The learning that will happen because of this donation fits the needs of our current job market and aligns perfectly with 21st century learning and STEM education. Additionally, it will bring an awareness to our students about post-secondary opportunities which include employment, apprenticeships, college and university pathways. It is a great transition for the students who took part in the trip to be able to see the vehicle being built in the assembly plant and having the final product back in their school. Thank you to Lafond Towing, the school administration, the Near North District School Board and Mr. Baker for supporting our students”.

Parent Newsletter175 Ethel St. Sturgeon Falls, ONP2B 2Z8705.472.5322

January - February 2018

Principal’s MessageWe had a productive few months at Northern and we are looking at a busy few weeks before March Break. We are looking forward to our winter carnival sometime before the March Break. Carnival day is not a day off for our students; if your son or daughter does not wish to participate in the event, we expect him or her to report to our study hall for the day. We will be taking attendance on carnival day.

Extra-Curricular ActivitiesOur Elder visits to Mr. Dokis’ class continued.We celebrated Bullying Awareness Week November 20th – November 24th.Our students and staff wore Pink on November 22nd to show our Bullying Awareness.Ms. Pigeau’s KAL class made a great display to “Hang Bullying Out to Dry”.Mr. Baker’s TDJ3O/4O class travelling to Alliston, ON to visit the Honda Manufacturing Plant on November 23rd.Ms. Lachance worked hard with our students applying for University and College.We practiced hard for the East-West hockey game on December 15th and it paid off as we won the best cheer for the first time ever! Ms. LeRoy’s Phys. Ed. classes visited the local bowling alley on December 18th to learn about the science behind the sport.Anime Club raised money for their group with a bake sale on December 20th.Our staff purchased enough food to feed our whole student body as we put on our annual Christmas Feast on December 22nd.Also on December 22nd we hosted our Alumni Basketball game and ran a successful Christmas Assembly.We hosted a greatly attended Grade 8 Parent Night on January 17th for any interested parents/students.Anime Club and MeRP continue to meet weekly.The Art Club continues to meet weekly.Our KAL class helps to prepare Wednesday lunches with help from our EA’s.On Fridays, the Anime Club typically prepares a hot lunch as a fundraiser.Our Senior and Junior Girls are competing hard in volleyball.The Senior and Junior Boys are showing their competitiveness on the basketball court.Ms. Cartwright’s math class raised $162 for the Canadian Cancer Society in a recent bake sale.We are excited to see what comes out of our Curling, Badminton, and Artistic & Aerobic Gymnastics team whose seasons have started.

School Advisory CouncilOur school advisory council is alive and active. We have 4 parents who meet 4 times each year. There is still room for a few more members. If you are interested, please do not hesitate to contact the school or come to our next meeting on March 5th at 5:30 pm in the teacher workroom.

Report CardsEnd of semester report cards will go home with your child on Tuesday, February 13th. When reading your child’s report card, look for the mark, the class median, the learning skills and the attendance. If your child did not achieve a 50% in a course, he or she may be a candidate for Credit Recovery.

Dates to RememberMid Feb:

Feb 19:Mar 12 - 16:

Mar 30:Apr 2:

Apr 10:

Course SelectionFamily DayMarch BreakGood FridayEaster MondayOSSLT

BRAVES

facebookNORTHERN BRAVES

Brave Journey ForwardAs a follow up to the work that we started around the use of Indigenous names, images and mascots in the fall, we are now working on writing the story of the Braves head. With the help of Amanda Mathias, Indigenous education lead and K-12 program coordinator, we plan to gather the history of the Braves head from various people involved in its creation and to celebrate it around June 21st which is National Indigenous Peoples Day. This will include a new canvas painting with the Braves head and a brief history to be displayed in our school as part of our story. At that time, the Braves head will be officially retired. We are also considering retiring the Braves name. We are not being told by anyone that the Braves name must go, but there is no certainty that that won't happen a few years down the road, and then we would have to go through this emotional process again. We will meet as a staff and hopefully come to some agreement on the future of the Braves name. We will keep you posted.

Graduation CoachSemester 2 brings along a few changes to our teaching complement. Congratulations to Nicole Cartwright who will be piloting a graduation coach program for FNMI at-risk students. As part of this initiative she will be implementing an innovative strategy that provides a comprehensive, collaborative and student focused system of school-based support for at-risk students. The program will focus on relationships and mentoring, transitions, pathways and career planning, cultural connections, academic achievement, parent engagement and collaborating with community. Mrs. Cartwright has a sound understanding of FNMI cultures, communities and perspectives, she has a passion for helping students succeed and she will build relationships with students, parents and other educators. We look forward to working with Mrs. Cartwright on this project. A huge Brave welcome to Laurel Gough who will be teaching a section of English and grade 9 art.

@NorthernBravesPrincipal

Promoting Literacy at HomeThe Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test (OSSLT) is administered by Ontario’s Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO). It is used to determine whether a student has the literacy (reading and writing) skills required to meet the standard for understanding reading selections and communicating in a variety of writing forms expected by the Ontario Curriculum across all subjects up to the end of Grade 9. On Tuesday, April 10, 2018, students who entered Grade 9 during the 2016/2017 school year will write the OSSLT, as well as students who are retaking the test. Below are ideas to promote Literacy at home.

Literacy includes family members reading and using letters and numbers to help them with day to day activities.

Read newspapers, magazines, and Internet sites with your child. Discuss the main ideas, information and ideas of interest. Ask your child’s opinion. Ask why the information is important and how it may affect individuals and communities. Ask your child to summarize something he or she has read.

Read food flyers and make grocery lists.

Read and follow a recipe.

Assemble something from written instructions.

Read TV Guides, Directories, the Yellow Pages in the Phone Book.

Read Topographical Maps and Road Maps and make lists to plan hunting, fishing, and road trips.

Use Internet sites, manuals, flyers to find information.

Involve your children in conversation and encourage them to express their opinions and reasons for their opinions. Encourage them to express themselves in clear and precise language.

Help your child with homework. Ask about assignments and tests and encourage your child to make a schedule or calendar of all important activities, due dates, family obligations.

Watch a movie with your child and ask about plot and characters. If the movie was inspired by a book, find it and read it together.

Write a Thank You note or send a Postcard.

When your child makes a request for something such as an allowance or money to buy something or permission to take a trip, ask your child to make the request by writing 2 or 3 paragraphs giving one reason in each paragraph.

Take a trip to the library.

Provide a quiet and comfortable space for your child to read.

Visit the EQAO (Education Quality and Accountability Office) website to find out more about the OSSLT. Follow the links to find Test Practice Materials and Sample Questions and Sample Student Answers. You can use these to help your child succeed on the OSSLT.