V S S A D M I N

Laura

Leesti Principal

Fraser

Scott

Administrator

Kelly

McLeod Administrator

TRUSTEE

Joel Hertz

SCHOOL

COUNCIL

CHAIR

Karen Vernon

Suzanne Jordan

Voice of the Vaughan Voyageurs F R I D A Y , J A N U A R Y 1 0 , 2 0 1 4

Message from the Administration

Welcome to 2014! At Vaughan Secondary School we are looking forward to an excit-

ing new year. Last year certainly ended on a high note for us with a wonderful winter

concert, and some exciting spirit events to get the whole school involved.

In the New Year, we look forward to guiding students successfully through first se-

mester final exams. Please note that final exams will run from Friday, January 24 to

Thursday, January 30. Exams are never rescheduled, so students are expected to ensure

that they will be available during this time frame. Any student who misses an exam

due to illness will require a medical note. If you have any questions about exams

please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or the main office.

The New Year also brings the opportunity for students to choose their courses for the

2014-15 school year. Students choose their courses on-line through Career Cruising,

accessible through the York Region District School Board website http://

www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca/. This year, for the first time, all York Region students will also

have access to the Individual Pathways Planner, an on-line tool, also available through

Career Cruising at the same website. The Individual Pathways Planner is an interactive

tool that students and parents can use together. Students will be introduced to the tool

at school, but I encourage all parents and students to sit down together and work

through the questionnaire to explore Pathways and opportunities.

The new year will bring many new activities for students who want to get involved at

Vaughan. All students are encouraged to check the student council activity display in

the main atrium for activities for the current week as well as clubs open to new mem-

bership.

Sincerely,

Laura Leesti

Principal

P A G E 2

Upcoming Events January 2014

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 Winter Break 2 Winter Break 3 Winter Break 4

5 6 7 Christmas (Eastern)

8 9 10 11

12 13 14 EQAO Gr 9 Math—Booklet One

15 EQAO Gr 9 Math—Booklet Two

16 EQAO Gr 9 Math—Make Up Day Grade 8 Family Night 6:30—8:30 pm

17 18

19 20 School Council Mtg 7:00 pm

21 22 23 24 Exams 25

26 27 Exams 28 Exams 29 Exams 30 Exams 31 Lunar New Year Exam Review Day

Vaughan Secondary School

Vaughan Secondary School

Updates From Guidance

Timetable News

Timetable changes for semester 2 will be completed by Thursday, January 23. Guidance has been seeing

students for changes since October, and to facilitate a smooth start up to Semester 2 classes, only stu-

dents with exceptional circumstances will be able to submit a written request for a change between Janu-

ary 24 and February 7. If we are successful in making the change, students will then be called down to

Guidance. We will also be honouring the wait list, and qualified Grade 12 students with 4 courses, will

continue to be able to drop throughout the semester.

College Applications are due February 1, 2014

February is Course Selection Month! Course selection assemblies will take place February 6, 2014. Online course selections are due by Tuesday, February 18, 2014 at which time Career Cruising

will be locked. Please note the courses that students choose now, will determine the courses offered next year, so please

choose carefully!!

Information regarding Night School Credit Courses is available on the York Region District Website

under Continuing Education www.yrdsb.edu.on.ca

Night School e-learning registration opens late January.

The Ministry Developed IPP and it’s Purpose!

The Individual Pathways Planner is an internet based career exploration and education planning tool that

Vaughan S.S. will access through their individual “Career Cruising” accounts. The planner will guide stu-

dents as they assess their interests and skills, explore careers, investigate education options, and continue to

develop a career plan each year. At Vaughan, each student will be given class time prior to course selection, to

complete and track IPP activities. Parents and students are encouraged to investigate careers together and often!

Individual Pathways Plan Framework

The activities within the IPP are based on the four questions below to help your son/daughter plan his/her initial

post-secondary destination.

Interesting Career Information! “The Ontario ministry of colleges and skills training predicts job growth will be strong in health care

(including doctors and nurses), information technology (such as software engineers and information systems

analysts), and other trades and services (including plumbers, electricians, child-care workers and dental hygien-

ists).

Job-seekers with college or apprenticeship training are expected to get 35 per cent of the new jobs, fol-

lowed by university graduates, at 26 per cent. High school dropouts are expected to get just 8 per cent of the

new jobs, the provincial study also showed.”

Read the full article here: http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1114944--health-care-it-and-skilled-trades-

are-the-canadian-jobs-of-the-future?bn=1

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P A G E 4

Vaughan Secondary School

P A G E 5

Vaughan Secondary School

RAV 90.7 FM

YRDSB Survey

Students and parents will complete the Every Student Counts Survey May 1-15 and every four

years thereafter. The survey process follows the model used in several Ontario boards and is similar

to the way in which we use self-identification to inform our work with First Nation, Métis and Inuit

students.

Detailed demographic information will be gathered through the survey to increase understanding of

our student population and school communities. Our Research Services staff will be able to corre-

late the confidential survey data with available assessment data, helping us to identify needs and ap-

ply effective practices to address those identified areas of need. This information will also support

our commitment to allocating resources effectively and strategically. Further details on the survey

will be provided in the coming months.

P A G E 6

Vaughan Secondary School

Tis the season…for exams!

It is crunch time at Vaughan as the first semester quickly draws to a close. Both students and teachers are

working hard to make the end of the semester a successful one. This week the SERTs have been meeting

with students who receive exam accommodations to get ready for exams that start on January 24th. If you

have any questions about this process please contact your student’s SERT.

Resource Room - During third period in the month of January, we in the Special Education department

have opened up a resource room to help support identified students. In the resource room there is a SERT

ready to help students complete outstanding assignments, work on end of semester summatives and prepare

for exams. The SERTs can also provide support on how to manage a large work load and organize time.

Your student’s SERT can continue to provide support outside of the resource room. Your child should

connect with their SERT as soon as possible.

Great Website for studying – Khan Academy - https://www.khanacademy.org/ The Khan Academy

website contains 100s of “white board” type videos designed to teach students about a variety of topics. It

has detailed lessons for students looking for help learning about algebra, chemistry, art history and many

other subjects. It is a great place to get help when studying for a math or science exam.

Tips for Reducing Exam Anxiety – adapted from Carleton University’s Learning Support Services

1. Be prepared

Knowing the material you’re going to be tested on is the best way to reduce (or eliminate) exam anxiety.

2. Keep it in perspective

Set a realistic goal for the grade you want to earn on your exam and then work towards

it. Don’t let fears about your performance overwhelm you–your entire future doesn’t

hinge on this one exam. Also, ensure that the amount of time you spend studying for an exam

is reflective of its value in your overall course grade–don’t study excessively for an exam that’s

only worth 10 per cent of your final mark.

3. Avoid cramming

If you spread out studying throughout the entire term, you’ll avoid having to cram before the

exam. Cramming usually involves memorizing material but the pressure of an exam limits your

ability to recall memorized information. Taking the time to review and reflect on course material through-

out the term improves your ability to recall what you’ve learned when you need to.

4. Relax

Is your stomach doing somersaults as you enter the exam room? You’re not the only student feeling this

way. Stress is a natural response that most students experience when confronted by

Special Education Update

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Special Education Update Con’t

exams. If you begin to feel overly anxious before or during the exam, use deep breathing or other relaxa-

tion techniques to calm yourself and stay focused.

5. Eliminate negative thoughts

You can minimize exam anxiety through self-monitoring–interrupting negative thoughts and using positive

self-talk. Focus on what you do know, rather than on what you don’t. Build your confidence through ra-

tional thinking. If you feel you aren’t meeting the goals you set out for yourself, make a note of the pro-

gress you’re making and take measures to improve your performance the next time.

6. Focus on the present, not the future

Thinking you should have studied more, or that poor performance will negatively impact your final grade

will distract you from the task at hand. Focus your energy on managing things you can currently control

(like relaxing and thinking positively).

7. Know what to expect

Uncertainty can lead to anxiety. Set realistic expectations for what you think will be on the exam by gener-

ating a list of possible questions from your notes. Seeing questions on the exam that you predicted will re-

inforce the fact that you’re well-prepared. Also, being prepared means that you will feel more confident

and less inclined to consider cheating.

8. Arrive early

Eliminate the stress of being late for an exam by planning to arrive early. While waiting for the exam to

begin, try a relaxing activity, like reading a magazine or taking a walk. Anxiety is contagious, so try to

steer clear of other students who seem to be giving in to their nervousness.

9. Stay alert

When focusing on studying and exam preparation, it’s easy to neglect your physical health. Remember that

if your body is worn down, your brain will be too. Make a concerted effort to eat and sleep properly during

the exam period. Also, do your best to limit your caffeine and sugar intake, as both can increase your stress

level.

10. Stick with your routine

Changing your sleeping pattern or diet in the days leading up to exams may take you out of your comfort

zone. Even though it’s difficult to manage your time during an exam period, try to maintain a productive

and healthy routine.

Accessed here: http://carleton.ca/sasc/wp-content/uploads/210-09-Reducing-Exam-Anxiety.pdf

Vaughan Secondary School

P A G E 8

tech KNOWLEDGE y

Puzzling!

One of the many fun grade 9 projects is to make a wooden puzzle as they dem-

onstrate the safe use of machines.

Here is what some of the students had to say:

“Well when I finished my whole entire project I actually was surprised how well I did on the band saw to cut out the

stars I made my project look good”

―I learned many important things and gained experience with a few machines. I enjoyed building my wooden puz-

zle especially because it involved much work with the scroll saw; therefore, I became very proficient at using it”

“I would tell people not only that tech is a good learning experience, but a class where you get to be creative in a

way you cant be in any other class”

“The wooden puzzle was both enriching and educating project that not only improved my skills of certain machines

but furthered my knowledge about them”

Too frequently, when people hear "technology" in connection with school they think of computers in the classroom.

While computers play a role in teaching they are no more specifically linked to technology than they are to any other

subject. Technological education includes the identification of problems and the development and evaluation of solu-

tions. The students need to experience computer applications, open-ended problem solving, co-operative group work,

individual work, self, peer and teacher evaluation. They need to be exposed to courses that will use as interdisciplinary

links Mathematics, Science and Technology to help the students see the connections between each as they are ap-

plied to everyday life. Technological education builds on the momentum toward experiential learning that exists in

other subject areas, particularly mathematics and science. "If you are not technically literate, than technically you are

not literate", these words are written on the wall of the technology department at Huron Heights Secondary School,

Newmarket. As a school subject, technological education leads to technologically literate citizen and enables young

people to consider a wide range of careers in the high performance workplace, as scientists, mathematicians, engi-

neers, engineering technologist, technicians and skilled trades.

Vaughan Secondary School

P A G E 9

Vaughan Secondary School

Technological education is more than "using" science to explain how devices work or tacking a few "application" of science

onto the end of a theoretical presentation. In a technological education program students are asked to think about every-

day situations rather than a problem and to come up with possibilities not an answer, results and not a process while incor-

porating integration. For these reasons technology education programs will always put the student in the driver's seat. If we

want sustained economic growth and job creation in the future we have to make science and technology, along with edu-

cation our top priorities.

tech KNOWLEDGE y – don’t leave home without it!

TDJ – 1O1 TDJ – 2O1 TDJ – 3M1 TDJ – 4M1

1401 Clark Avenue West

Thornhill, Ontario

L4J 7R4

Phone: 905-660-1397

Fax: 905-660-0318

E-mail: vaughan.ss@yrdsb.edu.on.ca

School Office Supervisor

Bethany Carruthers

Extension 323

Assistant Head Secretary

Responsible for the Student Management System

Mary Peard

Extension 352

Attendance Secretary

Rosemary Valentino

Extension 300

Guidance Secretary

Diane Jarvis

Extension 353

STAR Secretary

Domenica Pereira

Extension 320

Budget Secretary

Carly Styles

Extension 318

Vaughan Secondary School VSS Office Staff

mary.peard@yrdsb.edu.on.ca in

order to update our Student

Management System accordingly.

Please reference the student

name, your name, your relation-

ship to the student.

The “Voice of the Vaughan Voya-

geurs” is available via email and

our website. If you know of any-

one who is not receiving our

publication please have them

contact Mary Peard at

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For all school bus information and a daily “Late Bus Report”, visit www.schoolbuscity.com

For further information, visit our school website www.vaughan.ss.yrdsb.edu.on.ca

Student Transportation Services of York Region

The E-Bulletin is one of the ways our school maintains regular contact with parents, the community

and other educators. If you have information that you would like to share such as sporting events,

community news, awards, or any other information you feel appropriate, please forward your

submissions for consideration to Bethany Carruthers at bethany.carruthers@yrdsb.edu.on.ca by the

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