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VOLUME 88, Issue 4 NOVEMBER 2015

RICHMOND SECONDARY SCHOOL

NEWSLETTER HOME OF THE COLTS -‐ ESTABLISHED IN 1927

Principal: Mr. Jim Allison Address: 7171 Minoru Blvd, Richmond, BC, Canada V6Y 1Z8 Vice Principals: Mr. G. Fitt & Ms. S. Hui Phone: 604-‐668-‐6400 Fax: 604-‐278-‐4734 PAC: Ms. L. Braun & Ms. O. Fedorenko Early Warning: 604-‐247-‐2658 Trustee Liaison: Ms. S. Nixon Twitter: @richmondcolts

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

Principal’s Message: As we head towards winter, an important reminder to students and parents that the pace of school work often moves more quickly as time spent establishing class routines, reviewing material and completing diagnostic assessments has been completed. As the excitement of going back to school, reconnecting with friends, joining clubs and meeting teachers can fade, it is important for students to stay focused on their learning goals. Parents can support their teens by helping them stay organized and checking-‐in regularly to see if they are on top of their schoolwork. When in doubt, ask your teen or contact the teacher. As we approach the colder, rainy season, the importance of balance for adolescents cannot be overstated – encourage your teen to wash their hands regularly, eat well, get regular exercise and go to bed early enough to get the necessary sleep they need. Good nutrition, exercise and rest will bolster their immune system and this helps teens manage the many challenges and stresses they face. We want our students to be balanced, healthy, happy and successful young people. Thank you, Mr. A

“Home of the Colts”

Remembrance Day Ceremonies Classy Congratulations to the student and staff organizers who created our Remembrance Day ceremonies on Tuesday, November 10 and to the hundreds of students and staff who showed respect by dressing formally on this day. Our 45-minute assemblies were dignified and classy and provided all Richmond Secondary students an opportunity to reflect on the horrific consequences of war as well as appreciate the tremendous sacrifices made by millions of Canadians. It is important to remember that we live as freely as we do in our safe and prosperous nation because of the sacrifices of other brave Canadians, past and present. Special thanks to the student leaders involved as emcees: Elena

Madorsky, Marco Endique, Eileen Liu and Marco Yip. Also, the student cadet flag party Kelly Zhang, Daisy Ding, Clarissa Ho, Alex Mah, Cathy Ho, Kristie Tai, Lauren Da, Tiffany Lai, Henry Lu, Ken Yim, Emily Ruan, David Cai, Jin Liang and Daniel Cai. Our appreciation also goes to Mr. Sheppard and our talented choir and band students, solo trumpeter Christopher Della Cruz, our student tech and lighting crews and the senior girls’ volleyball and senior boys’ basketball teams for serving as ushers. Special guests included Board of Education member Sandra Nixon, veteran speaker Keith Lang, RHS Alumni representatives Ray Gora and Peter Mitchell, RCMP Liaison officer Janice Xia and residents of the Courtyard Gardens Retirement Residence. Thank you also to Ms. Ho, Ms. An, Ms. Rooksby and especially Ms. Hui for organizing the ceremony. Lest We Forget

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RSS NEWSLETTER VOLUME 88, Issue 4 NOVEMBER 2015 Connected and Online Teens? Teens live in a highly connected, digital world and communication happens instantly via many online media platforms (Texting, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Snap Chat, Vine, etc.). Our

students are reminded to always be thoughtful online, as using a cell phone or sitting at a keyboard feels like it is anonymous and private

when it is neither. Parents are encouraged to learn more about social media and reinforce with their teens that their “digital footprint” can be traced to them, and stay with them forever. Demonstrate the same kindness, care and respect online as you would in person, today and every day. Always think before you text or post – if it is not something you want your Mom or a future employer to read or see, then don’t post it.

Colts Spirit Events Successful! Congratulations to the student groups who organized several school-wide events over the past couple of weeks. Our Free the Children Club raised awareness and hundreds of needed donations for the Richmond Food Bank by organizing a “We Scare Hunger” campaign during the week of October 26-30. Student Council sold “candy grams” that allowed students an opportunity to purchase small bags of sweets and write a message to their friends (or to their teachers) and these positive notes were delivered to classes on October 30. Spooky week culminated on October 30 when hundreds of students and staff came to school dressed up in a variety of creative and fun Halloween costumes. Student Council organized a "costume contest" at lunch and countless photos were taken and everyone had a ton of fun. Student Council also hosted a very successful first dance of the year on November 4 from 6-9 pm. The ‘Starry Night’ theme saw over 200 students dressed in black having a great time dancing and hanging out with their friends. Student Council leaders did an amazing job with every aspect of the dance: booking the DJ, advertising the event, selling tickets, checking Go-Cards at the door, decorating and cleaning up the school and arranging for staff supervisors! Shared ‘fun-day’ experiences and community-building events are great ways for students to feel connected to the school and all are more examples of the great Colts spirit!

Richmond Christmas Fund: The Richmond Christmas Fund is an initiative in our city that hopes to brighten the holidays for families in need. Eligible families will receive a $35 grocery gift certificate for each family member, and children under 12 years old will receive new toys. This year the Fund is hoping to help as many needy families in the City of Richmond as possible. A family can register for assistance with the Christmas Fund by bringing qualifying documents on the registration dates and times. Similarly, others in the community can make a recommendation on behalf of another family. Information about how to register can be found on the Richmond Christmas Fund website: http://volunteerrichmond.ca/programs/richmondchristmasfund/howcanapply.aspx To learn more about the Richmond Christmas Fund or perhaps to find out how you can help, please contact Richmond Cares/Richmond Gives at 604-279-7020 or e-mail [email protected].


Careers and Financial Literacy Day All of our Grades 8, 9 and 10 students were engaged in potential future career and personal finance sessions on November 4. Our Grade 9s participated in the Canada-‐wide “Take Our Kids to Work Day” and had the opportunity to shadow a parent, relative or neighbor at work for a day. This was an excellent introduction to what the ‘world of work’ actually looks like and allowed 14-‐15 year olds a chance to begin to think of their future careers. On the morning of the same day, we hosted “Dollars with Sense” and “Economics for Success” for our Grades 8 and 10 students. This event included 30 guest speakers from professional careers and was organized by Junior Achievement BC. It was an excellent day of learning about future careers and finances. A big thank you to all of our guest speakers and to Mr. Thomas for organizing this day. Find out more about Junior Achievement at: http://british-‐columbia.jacan.org/

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RSS NEWSLETTER VOLUME 88, Issue 4 NOVEMBER 2015


RSS PenPals in France: French language students at Richmond Secondary have set up communication opportunities with high school students in France. Mme. Turner's and Mr. Hockley’s Grade 8 French classes will be writing back and forth as penpals with a class from

northern France. At the same time, Grade 11 and 12 students will be

developing Powerpoint

presentations and using a computer program called Dropbox to discuss environmental issues with a senior class in the southern part of France. The students will be communicating about their daily lives in Canada and France, as well as important topics such as the proposed wolf cull, major pipeline projects and global warming and how these environmental issues might impact them now, and in the future. Oui, oui, très bien - and an excellent 'real world' use of the French language! Bravo!

Grade 12 News: All Grade 12s should be checking the bulletin board by the counselling centre and Ms. Jones’s website and Facebook page every week for application deadlines and other news. Some upcoming events to consider: November 18 is “Post-Secondary Day” at RSS and from 3-4pm and we will host 15 different colleges and universities. At 6:30pm, we will host “Grade 12 Parent Info Night” and explain all the key post-secondary processes to parents – please plan to attend. Also on Nov. 18 BCIT hosts a “BIG Information Session & Program Expo” at the main campus in Burnaby. Register at: http://commons.bcit.ca/biginfo/ The University of Toronto hosts information events across Canada and the world for prospective undergraduate students and applicants. U of T will be holding a Prospective Student Information Session in Vancouver on November 26th, 2015. Arrive early as registration will begin at 6:30PM and sessions start promptly at 7PM. Space is limited and an RSVP is required: http://discover.utoronto.ca/infoevent On November 28 you are invited to attend UBC Signature Open House. Come discover UBC’s one-of-a-kind programs and talk with students, professors and program administrators, and learn all about what UBC’s signature programs have to offer. Find out more about application procedures, admission requirements, courses and out-of-the-classroom learning experiences on both the Okanagan and Vancouver campuses! Register at: https://account.you.ubc.ca/ubc/events/canada.ezc Also on November 28, the Bosa Centre for Film & Animation open house at Capilano University is an opportunity to meet with faculty & students, take a tour and learn about the unique programs in the exciting School of Motion Picture Arts. https://www.capilanou.ca/smpa/events/15/11/28-Bosa-Centre-for-Film---Animation-open-house/ Remember to visit RSS Career Advisor Ms. Jones on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ms-Jones-Career-Centre-News/118346451579144

RCMP Youth Academy: Each year the RCMP offers an exciting and challenging learning experience for students. This program is designed for both male and female high school students aged 16 to 18 who indicate an interest in a career in law enforcement/public safety/emergency services. This year's academy will be held from March 24 to April 1 2016 at Stillwood Camp located south of Cultus Lake near Chilliwack, B.C. To be accepted, students must be fit enough to complete a 2.4 kilometre run in less than 12 minutes; perform at least 15 full body push-ups in one minute; complete at least 30 sit-ups or curl-ups in one minute in 60 seconds; and the program includes simulations, exercises and a challenging final exam. Students accepted into the camp will miss four days of school and the cost is $800, but this includes transportation to and from the camp, a uniform, all meals and curriculum materials. For more information, contact Mr. Henderson at 604-668-6000, Ext. 3925, or email [email protected]. Please see your RSS Counsellor or Career Advisor for an application package and note that applications are due by December 4.

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Flu Season? The Flu is caused by highly contagious influenza viruses that can spread rapidly from person to person. Viruses can live for up to 48 hours on the surfaces of toys, doorknobs, computer keyboards, and other hard surfaces. It can take up to a week for flu symptoms to appear, and in that time you can infect others. To reduce the risk of spreading the virus, it's a good practice to cough or sneeze into your sleeve (not your hands) and to wash your hands often with hot water. In fact, frequent hand washing with regular soap is the single most effective way of controlling the spread of infections. Staying home when you are sick with flu symptoms and getting yourself vaccinated also helps to protect those around you. If have concerns, the best place to start is by calling HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 to speak to a nurse any time of the day or night. The nurse available at 8-1-1 can help you decide if you or your child needs to see a doctor. Check out:

http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthfiles/hfile12b.stm

Grade 12 Parent Info Night on November 18 Grade 12 is a busy year as students are working very hard to achieve their learning goals in both the I.B. and provincial programs while looking ahead and making post-‐secondary plans. There are also many RSS “Grad 2016” events and celebrations to look forward to and we know that it can all seem a little overwhelming. We expect our senior students to engage in their own success and plan for their future; however, please know that our Counselling staff and Career Advisor are excellent sources of information and we are here to answer your questions and help point our students in the right direction. On Wednesday, November 18 we will also host a Grade 12 Parent Info Night at 6:30pm in the Multipurpose Room. Parents will learn more about all the grad events planned for the year and how they can help with Dry After Grad, graduation requirements, post-‐secondary application deadlines and processes and scholarship information and tips as well as important websites to know. All parents of Richmond Secondary School Grade 12 students are encouraged to attend to learn more and ask questions.

Changing Curriculum in B.C. Most parents are aware that the Ministry of Education

is changing Kindergarten to Grade 12 curriculum in British Columbia. Significant revisions are being made to better prepare students for a rapidly changing world. All schools in B.C. will have two additional non-‐

instructional days this year specifically dedicated to studying and planning for these curriculum changes. The first day of ‘curriculum implementation’ will be January 29 and the other date will be in April. However, RSS teachers are already engaged in discussions and parents are encouraged to read the Ministry website to learn more and attend PAC meetings to ask questions. Check out: https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/rethinking-‐curriculum

International Student Homestays Needed: The Richmond School District’s International Student Program (ISP) welcomes adolescent students from other countries to enroll at selected secondary schools, and under some circumstances, younger students at selected elementary schools in Richmond. The ISP program provides students from overseas a tremendous opportunity to study alongside Canadian students in the B.C. public education system. As a Host Family, you will welcome a student from

around the world into your home. Your family will provide a

supportive home-‐like environment and, ideally, gain a mutual understanding and respect for each other’s culture and worldview. In addition to economic remuneration, your reward will be the realization that your commitment to host international students may even contribute to greater global understanding. Each member of your family will get to know your student and perhaps form lifelong friendships. If you have suitable space in your home and this opportunity interests you, please contact International Homestay Coordinator Karen York at 604-‐295-‐4303 or [email protected]

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Upcoming Richmond Secondary School Dates: (Please check the calendar on the school website regularly)

November 18 Post-‐Secondary Day 3-‐4pm November 18 Grade 12 Parent Night 6:30pm November 19 Global Perspectives Fundraising Dinner 5pm November 30 Block Order Change -‐ 2314 December 4 Pro-‐D Day (students not in session) December 10 Report Cards Home December 10 Richmond Secondary Christmas Luncheon December 15 Winter Music Concert 7pm December 18 Breakfast With Santa Dec. 21 – Jan. 3 Winter Break! January 4, 2016 Welcome Back – Day 1 – 2314

December is canned food drive month at RSS and all proceeds will support the Richmond Food Bank – we are asking each student and staff member to donate one nutritious, non-perishable food item. Thank you.

Colts Winter Athletics: The Richmond Colts fall season has come to a close and we extend our congratulations and gratitude to the 140 student-‐athletes and coaches and sponsors of the seven teams who represented our school with skill, sportsmanship and class. Students are encouraged to read the Athletic computer screen near the gym, check out the Colts Athletics Twitter account @Colts_Athletics, the Colts Athletics website http://coltsathletics.weebly.com or listen to announcements for winter sport try-‐out and game times. For more information or to find out how you can support Richmond athletics, please contact our Athletic Directors Mr. Harmeson or Mr. Winograd. The following RHS teams are offered in the RSSAA winter leagues -‐ Go Colts! Senior Girls' Basketball Grade 8 Girls' Basketball Grade 9 Girls’ Basketball Grade 10 Girls’ Basketball Senior Boys' Basketball Grade 8 Boys’ Basketball Grade 9 Boys’ Basketball Grade 10 Boys’ Basketball Junior Table Tennis Senior Table Tennis

Global Perspectives Fundraising Dinner on November 19: Our school offers a tremendous humanitarian work experience opportunity for students in a class called Global Perspectives. Every year since 1996, a group of students and staff (or alumni) have travelled to developing nations around the world to learn from, engage with, help, support and build infrastructure for local people. This year, 35 students and staff will travel to St. Thomas, Jamaica to support the children and villagers in this small community. As you can imagine, there is a lot of planning, work and fundraising that must happen to make these trips successful. On Thursday, November 19 we will host our annual Global Perspective Fundraising dinner at 5pm at the school; however, financial support from interested parents and community members is always welcome. Please contact teacher Kevin Matheny at [email protected] or check out the Global Perspectives website at: https://www.globalperspectivescanada.com

Subscribe to the Richmond Secondary School Website: Our school website is updated every week and contains everything you might want to know about Richmond Secondary School, including our most up-‐to-‐date school calendar. All RSS families are encouraged to bookmark http://rhs.sd38.bc.ca and add it to their Favourites folder and check the website at least 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. Please subscribe today by clicking here.

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