VOLUME90,Issue1AUGUST2017

RICHMOND SECONDARY SCHOOL

NEWSLETTER HOMEOFTHECOLTS-ESTABLISHEDIN1927–Celebrating90YearsasaLearningCommunity!

Principal:Mr.JimAllisonAddress: 7171MinoruBlvd,Richmond,BC,CanadaV6Y1Z3VicePrincipals:Mr.JohnBlair&Mr.GordonFittPhone: 604-668-6400Fax:604-278-4734PAC:Ms.O.Fedorenko EarlyWarning: 604-247-2658TrusteeLiaison:Ms.D.SargentTwitter:@richmondcolts

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

Principal’s Message:On behalf of all staff, I want to welcome our students and families to the 90th year in the proud history of Richmond Secondary School! Summer is a great time for young people to enjoy a needed break from regular routines and to get outside, try new things and be active. At the same time, I sincerely hope students are looking forward to an exciting year of school. Perhaps more than ever, learner success requires a supportive relationship between the student, the school and the home. We encourage our students to set realistic, specific goals and develop an action plan to make their year successful and we invite RHS families to stay connected via our website and social media. We will do all we can to support our students in their learning, however, it is important for parents and guardians to stay actively involved in their teen's education. This online August newsletter contains important information our students and families need to get off to a great start to the school year. As we are not mailing home any start-up information this August, it is also a reminder for parents to check the school website regularly! We look forward to welcoming students on Tuesday, September 5 and parents at our Meet the Teacher evening on Thursday, September 28. Enjoy the rest of your summer and see you soon! Thank you, Mr. A

“Home of the Colts” GO SHARKS

First Day – Tuesday September 5 All students will attend school on Tuesday, September 5 for about two hours. We will start every day on the first week of school with a homeroom. On Day 1, students will receive a copy of their timetable, their locker, the RHS wall calendar, agenda booklet and several forms to take home to be completed. Students are to bring a pen and are reminded to take these school forms home to be completed and return them to your homeroom teacher in the first week of school. Our first day: Grade 8s – meet in the gym at 8:45am. Our newest Colts will be welcomed by Colt Ambassadors and escorted to their homerooms. After homeroom, Grade 8s will attend an assembly in the gym. Grade 8s will be dismissed by about 11am. Grades 9 and 10 – attend homeroom at 11am. After homeroom business is completed, Grade 9s and 10s will attend an assembly in the gym. Grades 9 and 10 students will be dismissed by 1pm. Grades 11 and 12 – attend homeroom at 1pm. After homeroom business is completed, Grade 11s will attend an assembly in the gym. Note - the Grade 12 assembly will be on Friday, September 8. PLEASE NOTE – HOMEROOM LISTS WILL BE POSTED ON THE SCHOOL WINDOWS AFTER 3PM ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1. STUDENTS WILL ATTEND HOMEROOM EVERY DAY DURING THE FIRST WEEK. REGULAR CLASSES BEGIN AFTER HOMEROOM ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 – DAY 1 – 1234.

2

“Home of the Colts” GO SHARKS

RSSNEWSLETTERVOLUME89,Issue11JUNE2017

Lockers and Student Agenda Books All students will be assigned a locker with a Master brand combination lock on the first day of school. The locker is personal space for students to store their jacket, lunch, textbooks, binders and school supplies; however, it is not a bank vault and students should not leave valuables (e.g. a laptop) in their lockers. It is always a good idea to keep your lock combination confidential, but write it down at home in a safe place. A helpful tip for Grade 8s is to practice opening a 3-number combination lock a few times in the days before school starts – it is not complicated, but it takes some getting used to – if possible, practice with a Master brand combination lock (see photo below). Students will also receive a 5 X 8 inch custom Richmond Secondary agenda booklet in their homeroom on the first day of school. The RSS agenda contains both daily and monthly calendars that include all of the RSS events and is a great tool to help students stay organized. The first 29-pages contain all of the important Richmond Secondary School expectations, our Code of Conduct as well as descriptions of activities, events and opportunities. We encourage all of our students and parents to read these opening pages and for students to use the agenda booklet daily. Successful students are well organized!

ALL Grade 8s Welcome at Mini-Camp and Sleep-Over on September 15/16 We are looking forward to hosting all of our youngest students at our Grade 8 Mini-Camp and Sleep-Over at the school on Friday, September 15 to Saturday, September 16. The purpose of the camp is to welcome our new Colts to RHS and provide our Grade 8s with strategies and tips for success in high school. Working with student-leaders and staff, our Grade 8s will participate in many learning and fun activities, enjoy three meals together, sleep over in the school and make some new friends and get off to a great start at Richmond Secondary School. Grade 8 students will arrive at 9:00am on Friday, September 15 and can be picked up at the school on Saturday, September 16 at 11am. The camp will be supervised by staff and led by 40 Grade 11 and 12 student leaders who have met several times to carefully plan every aspect of this event to ensure that it is welcoming, safe and inclusive. We want every Grade 8 student to participate! All Grade 8 families received a registration package last May. Please complete page 3 of this package and return it to the school with your $45 cheque (payable to Richmond Secondary School). Please contact teachers Ms. Chan or Mr. Winograd at the school if you have any questions. Welcome Grads of 2022!!! Registration information is also available on the school website under the PARENTS tab or at: http://rhs.sd38.bc.ca/parents/2017-grade-8-mini-camp-and-sleep-over-registration

RSSNEWSLETTERVOLUME90,Issue1AUGUST2017

Returning to School Late in September? If you will NOT return to Richmond Secondary School in 2017-2018, please be sure our office staff is aware. Also, if you are returning to RHS next year but will arrive later than the first day on September 5, but on or before September 15, you must let the office know and complete a NOTICE OF LATE RETURN form. This form is available at the school office and must be completed or you risk losing your space at our school. This is important to ensure that we have a timetable for your child in September. Please note, we currently have a waiting list and current students arriving after September 15 may not have a place in our school. Thank you for your cooperation in helping to create a smooth start to the school year for all families.

Are we covered? We do all we can to provide safe, supervised and structured learning experiences for students. However, accidents do happen and this can include incidents at school. While rare, an example could include a student having a broken tooth from a fall or accident in PE class or while practicing or playing on a school team. Students in the Richmond School District are not “covered” if they are injured during a school activity or class. That is, family medical and dental plans would need to be in place. Optional insurance is available from many providers and families are encouraged to explore their options.

Grade 8s! RHS Grads of 2022!

3

“Home of the Colts” GO SHARKS

RSSNEWSLETTERVOLUME90,Issue1AUGUST2017

RHS Bell Schedules: TheregularbellscheduleatRSSwillbe:8:25am Welcomebell8:30—9:49am Period19:56-11:15am Period211:20-12:41pm Period312:41-1:26pm Lunch1:26-2:45pm Period4OnourCollaborationDays,thebellschedulewillbe:8:30-9:45am CollaborationTime9:50-10:50am Period110:55-11:55am Period211:55-12:40pm Lunch12:40-1:40pm Period31:45-2:45pm Period4

Calendar – Website – Social Media - Email We want all students, families and members of our community to stay connected to Richmond Secondary School. A wall calendar will be provided to every student on the first day. Families are asked to keep this calendar in a convenient location as it contains helpful school information as well as all the key RSS dates such as Interim Report dates, Report Cards, and parent-teacher conferences, etc. Also, all families are urged to bookmark and regularly check the RHS website. We update this site regularly and the calendar on the website will show any changes or added events for students and parents. You can also subscribe to our website to receive any important updates directly to your email inbox. Our website: http://rhs.sd38.bc.ca/ Students and parents are also invited to follow the school on Twitter and Instagram @richmondcolts and like our page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RichmondColts Finally, it is very important that we have an accurate email address for all parents. Schools in Richmond will soon be providing report card information online and parents must have an accurate email address registered with the school to access the parent portal in the future. If you have not received emails from the school, we do not have an accurate email address for you. Parents must contact the school office to update your email information. Thank you for your cooperation!

School Supplies? We recommend that students wait until they have met with all of their teachers before purchasing any of their school supplies and equipment. Students should bring a pen and a binder with paper for the first two days of school and students are encouraged to re-use old binders and supplies whenever possible. School & Grad Photographs: A crew of professional photographers from Artona will take all student photos on Wednesday, September 13. This photo will be used on the student RHS Go Card I.D. and parents have the option to purchase additional photo packages directly from the photography company. Photo retake day will be on October 6. Formal graduation photographs will be scheduled, by student-made appointments, in a mobile studio at the school from February 18-24. This photo will be used in the 2018 grad composite that will hang in the school and families have the option of ordering custom prints. Grads can book a time and find out more at: https://artona.com

Parents are Welcome at RHS! We welcome all parents to stay connected to the school and be sure to attend various opportunities we will host during the year for parents to learn more. Our PAC is open to all parents and we’d love to welcome new members. The first PAC meeting will be on Wednesday, September 13 at 6:30pm in the library. We will host Meet the Teacher night on Thursday, September 28 at 6:30pm. This is an excellent opportunity to meet the principal and vice principals, tour the school, meet all of your teen’s teachers and hear more about what they will be learning and doing this year. We will also host a Grade 12 Parent Info Night on Wednesday, October 11 at 6:30pm. Grade 12 is a busy year and this evening will be a chance for parents to learn more about grad requirements, post-secondary and scholarship processes as well as Grad 2018 events planned for the year, including the parent-organized Dry After Grad. Please plan to attend!

4

“Home of the Colts” GO SHARKS

RSSNEWSLETTERVOLUME90,Issue1AUGUST2017

2017-2018 Student Fees All high schools in Richmond charge the same General School Fee. There may also be optional charges for field trips, teams, clubs and graduation events that vary from school to school. Enrichment fees may apply in a course in which a student wishes to undertake an optional project or use better materials that are beyond the core requirements of the course and which the student will retain. Special Programs are offered as an optional alternative to regular courses and may charge fees. Examples at RSS include the I.B. Diploma Programme & I.B. Courses, Global Perspectives, PE Fit for Life, etc.

General School Fee: $28.00

All secondary schools in Richmond have standardized the costs of school fees. This fee offsets the cost of the student agenda, student activities, assemblies, athletics and events and communication/postage fee for mail-outs to all students. Yearbook (Optional): $38.00 Students may elect to purchase a school yearbook, which will be distributed in June 2018. Students must order and pay now so that we know how many yearbooks to produce. Please note, the vast majority of students enjoy and appreciate their yearbooks and there is a deadline to purchase a book.

Total: $66.00 or $28.00 without a yearbook

All students are asked to pay fees to their homeroom teacher in the first week of school. Please make cheques payable to Richmond Secondary School and put your teen's full name and student number on the memo line.

Grade 12 Grad 2018 Fees: In addition to the General and Yearbook fees, we will offer several special Grade 12 events including the Boat Cruise, the Winter Formal, the Valedictory Ceremony, the Dinner & Dance prom and the Dry After Grad. These are optional events, but are designed to be celebrations for all members of our graduating class each year. The exact costs will depend on how many grads attend, the venues, menus and activities selected, but all events will cost approximately $350. Grade 12s will get a special, itemized invoice and are asked to pay as early as possible so that excellent events can be organized!

Note: If possible, no student will be excluded from an opportunity to participate in most activities due to financial hardship. Please contact your child’s teacher, your child’s counsellor or a vice principal if you require further information. If you have any questions regarding your fee statement, please contact our Business Assistant Ms. Sara Campos.

Parking and Driving Reminders: We encourage students to walk or cycle to school as often as possible. Not only is this healthy and environmentally friendly, it also decreases the traffic congestion around the school every morning and afternoon. If you are driving to drop-off or pick-up students, please drive slowly and follow all of the posted signs. Do not park in “staff parking” areas and do not stop on the two busy streets (Moffatt or Minoru) that surround our school – this causes traffic problems, is illegal and very dangerous. If you must drive your teen to school, consider dropping them off by 8:15am at the latest or consider a pre-arranged area near the school and have them walk the rest of the way – they will not melt in the rain and the exercise is good for them! Students who have their “new driver” license are reminded to park in the designated student parking area only – turn left into the first parking lot as you enter off of Minoru Boulevard. Student drivers must obey the N laws and drive safely at all times. Thank you for driving safely near RSS!

Bikes, Boards & Blades Welcome! We encourage RSS students to be active by walking, boarding, blading or cycling to school but ask that you wear a helmet and ride safely. Follow the rules of the road, do not zigzag between cars or ride fast along sidewalks designed for pedestrians. Also, if you are riding your bike to school, be sure to use a high-quality lock and lock your bike every time. Bike thieves are active in the City of Richmond and any place where there are a large number of bikes is a target – be smart and lock it up.

Student Timetables: Current Grades 9-12 students had two opportunities to confirm their course requests and timetable in the spring. If students believe there is a mistake on their timetable, please attend the class printed on your schedule for attendance purposes and request an appointment with a counsellor by completing the form provided by your homeroom teacher. Our counsellors will see students by appointment; however, early September is a very busy time and they may be unable to see you immediately – please be patient. Counsellors will contact you when an appointment has been arranged. Please note, due to a very full timetable and new class size rules, not all changes are possible. We will not make timetable changes to switch teachers or for the same classes in a different block order; however, if students have a significant problem such as a missing course or they are placed in the wrong level of a course, changes will be made.

5

“Home of the Colts” GO SHARKS

RSSNEWSLETTERVOLUME90,Issue1AUGUST2017

Collaboration Days: On eight days this year, all RSS teachers and staff will engage in a variety of planning activities to strengthen the learning experiences for our students. This valuable ‘collaboration time’ will occur from 8:30-9:45am, with the exception of September 21, when we will have Collab Time at the end of the day. Students are welcome at school during this time to work and study independently or in groups, or get some extra sleep on these days as first class begins at 9:50am. The first two Collab Days will be September 20 and 21. The other Collab Days will be October 18, November 29, January 23, February 28, April 24 and May 30.

RHS Cafeteria and Healthy Eating for Teens: As a key part of establishing a healthy, active lifestyle, RSS students are encouraged to pack a healthy lunch and learn more about eating nutritiously. One of the many benefits of Richmond Secondary School is that we do offer a full-service cafeteria with a wide range of delicious food items prepared daily by the students in our Culinary Arts and Professional Cook Training Programs. The prices are reasonable and the menu includes sandwiches, wraps, soups, salads, desserts and fresh daily entrées and main dishes. Interested students in Grades 11 and 12 can choose to enroll in cafeteria courses or the professional cook-training program. Please treat our kitchen staff with courtesy and respect and always clean up and recycle after eating. Thank you!

Student Information & Responsible Use of Technology Forms & Digital Citizenship at RHS Please read and complete the blue student information verification and the Use of Personal Information/Responsible Use of Technology (SA-53) forms sent home on September 5. Please ensure you complete the forms in full and return it to your Homeroom teacher in the first week of school. If your child has a serious allergy or medical condition, please contact the appropriate RSS counsellor to confidentially discuss the situation. Parents and students are also encouraged to read our “Digital Citizenship Expectations” on our school website: http://rhs.sd38.bc.ca/school-information/about-us/digital-citizenship-expectations

Richmond Secondary School September Dates: September 4 Labour Day September 5 First Day Homerooms & Grades 8-11 Assemblies September 5-8 Homeroom First All Week September 6 First Regular Day 1-1234 September 8 Grade 12 Assembly September 13 Photo Day September 15/16 Grade 8 Camp & Sleep-Over September 20 Collaboration Day September 21 Collaboration Day (reverse) September 22 Pro-D Day September 25-29 Spirit Week! September 28 RHS Terry Fox Run! September 28 Meet the Teachers 6:30pm September 29 Clubs’ Day at Lunch September 29 Grad Boat Cruise October 11 Grade 12 Parent Info at 6:30pm

All RHS Students are Encouraged to Get Involved! Students who are connected to others in a club, group or team have a greater sense of belonging and enjoy school more. We encourage all students to join something this year – try out for a Colts team (e.g. if you can run 4km (girls) or 6km (boys), the RHS cross-country team wants you!), join a club, volunteer to help or lead an event, or attend Student Council meetings. These experiences can help students grow as caring, capable people and as leaders; are important for post-secondary and scholarship applications; and make our school a better place! Fall sports will start in September, our first Spirit Week will be September 25 to 29 and our Clubs’ Day will be on Friday, September 29 at lunch. #GoColts