4
HUMANS OF MILNE VALLEY Meet Mina; creator, rule follower, dreamer. “I was born 2004 in late October. I am an only child, and I am really, really close to my parents. In fact I spend the bulk of my time with them. The other big part of my life is art. I have my own craft table at home that is bigger than my work desk. I go there whenever I can, at least once every day. I paint, make cards, ornaments, planters, boxes, paper mache, pet clothes and even clay figures. It is my special place for sure. I have been fortunate to have parents from different backgrounds. I celebrate not one but two New Years...sometimes three!...I do know bits and pieces of Cantonese and Farsi. How cool is that! I learn about different customs (Mahjong from my Chinese Grandpa and making Persian food with my Grandma.) As a person growing up with different back- grounds I have been exposed to many things. I eat Indian food, sushi and Chinese cuisine. I want one day to become either a lawyer or environmental scientist. I want to give back to the community somehow. My last dream is a big one; it is a dream for our world. I hope we can one day move past islamophobia, racism, sexism. And homophobia.” Mina at her crafting table. By Sam Y. and Arvin A. What’s the prob- lem? Is the Jamai- can patties or the French Fries causing the problem? Ei- ther way, the field and pavement at Milne Valley are getting dirtier and more garbage cans need to be filled everyday. The school is our second home. Where we spend the majority of our day. Do you throw your garbage on the floor at home? No. So why should you throw it on the ground at school? Eve- ryone has a lunch period where after they eat they can go outside and enjoy the weather. Unfortunately some of the people coming back from the plaza are throwing their garbage on the ground. Whether it is the packaging for you gum- mies or the box for your warm meal, it is still gar- bage. People are disgust- ed by the amount of gar- bage on the ground. During the lunch period you can’t see the garbage much, but after school when nobody is on the pave- ment you can truly see how much garbage is simply throw on the ground. Lets reduce it! It simply takes more effort for somebody to pick up the gar- bage on the ground, rather than you simply walking a few extra meters to the garbage bin and throwing out your garbage. We all want to come to a school where there is no gar- bage on the ground. At the beginning of the school year, everyone was complaining about how many wasps/bees were surrounding us in the field and near the doors (pavement area). This is mostly because of the amount of garbage on the ground. Small traces of food in packaging can attract wasps/bees. For those of you who think that the infestation of critters will go away because of winter, it doesn't mean you should dump your waste both in the stair- cases, hall- ways and the yard of our school. Littering itself is a criminal offence and in some parts of Ontario like a township near Renfrew in east- ern Ontario will cost perpetra- tors $1,000, if an individual litters. It's not even about the fine. In our global world, due to litter that ends up in oceans, sea life is dying. There is “an island of trash” two times the state of Texas, USA floating in the Pacific. There are hazardous materi- als that make up these trash and plastics too and when animals consume this, they get sick and even die. Same with our school! The geese and other animals that come to our school in fall may eat our litter and get harmed. Another, more obvious, rea- son that littering is bad, is that it just simply looks gross. The trash can contain diseases as well, that can be passed between animals that eat it. If trash is sitting in water, the water becomes contaminated, and when the water evaporates whatever was in the trash in now in the air! If you don't know where your trash goes. LOOK IT UP! You're living in the 21st century where you simply can just look up things. You can also refer to the posters posted in each of the classrooms. We have one listed below: Garbage Problem Fall 2017 Volume 1, Issue 1 Garbage Problem 1 World Teacher’s Day Letter from the Editors 2 Plaza...not Playground! National Child Day “Outside” School Play 3 Ghostly Gala Advice Column Parent Teacher Interviews 4 Community Service Ahead Sensational Science Centre Advertisements 5 Boys Soccer Tournament Quarterfinals Le Programme de Fracais Intensif ROM is Awesome! 6s in the Forest 6 The GSA has moved in! Remembrance Day Girls Basketball Team At- tends Tournament. 7 Humans of Milne Valley Puzzles Comic Sports Club Schedule 8 Inside this issue: Garbage receptacle Garbage on our grounds. After lunch behind our school. The result of littering. Milne Messenger

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Page 1: Meet Mina; creator, rule follower, dreamer. Milne Messengerschoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/Portals/milnevalley/docs/Milne Valley... · The school is our second ... speech to show gratitude towards

HUMANS OF MILNE VALLEY

Meet Mina; creator, rule follower, dreamer.

“I was born 2004 in late October. I am an only child, and I am really, really close to my parents. In fact I spend the bulk

of my time with them. The other big part of my life is art. I have my own craft table at home that is bigger than my work

desk. I go there whenever I can, at least once every day. I paint, make cards, ornaments, planters, boxes, paper mache,

pet clothes and even clay figures. It is my special place for sure.

I have been fortunate to have parents from different backgrounds. I celebrate not one but two New Years...sometimes

three!...I do know bits and pieces of Cantonese and Farsi. How cool is that! I learn about different customs (Mahjong

from my Chinese Grandpa and making Persian food with my Grandma.) As a person growing up with different back-

grounds I have been exposed to many things. I eat Indian food, sushi and Chinese cuisine.

I want one day to become either a lawyer or environmental scientist. I want to give back to the community somehow. My

last dream is a big one; it is a dream for our world. I hope we can one day move past islamophobia, racism, sexism. And

homophobia.”

Mina at her crafting table.

By Sam Y. and Arvin A.

What’s the prob-lem?

Is the Jamai-can patties or the French Fries causing the problem? Ei-ther way, the field and

pavement at Milne Valley are getting dirtier and more garbage cans need to be filled everyday.

The school is our second home. Where we spend the majority of our day. Do you throw your garbage on the floor at home? No. So why should you throw it on the ground at school? Eve-ryone has a lunch period where after they eat they can go outside and enjoy the weather. Unfortunately some of the people coming back from the plaza are throwing their garbage on the ground. Whether it is the packaging for you gum-mies or the box for your warm meal, it is still gar-bage. People are disgust-ed by the amount of gar-

bage on the ground. During the lunch period you can’t see the garbage much, but after school when nobody is on the pave-ment you can truly see how much garbage is simply throw on the ground. Lets reduce it! It simply takes more effort for somebody to pick up the gar-bage on the ground, rather than you simply walking a few extra meters to the garbage bin and throwing out your garbage. We all want to come to a school where there is no gar-bage on the ground. At the beginning of the school year, everyone was complaining about how many wasps/bees were surrounding us in the field and near the doors (pavement area). This is mostly because of the amount of garbage on the ground. Small traces of

food in packaging can attract wasps/bees.

For those of you who think that the infestation of critters will go away because of winter, it doesn't mean you should dump your waste both in the stair-cases, hall-ways and the yard of our school. Littering itself is a criminal offence and in some parts of Ontario like a township near Renfrew in east-ern Ontario will cost perpetra-tors $1,000, if an individual litters.

It's not even about the fine. In our global world, due to litter that ends up in oceans, sea life

is dying. There is “an island of trash” two times the state of Texas, USA floating in the Pacific. There are hazardous materi-als that make up these trash and plastics too and when animals consume this, they get sick and even die. Same with our school! The geese and other animals that come to our school in fall may eat our litter and get harmed.

Another, more obvious, rea-son that littering is bad, is that it just simply looks gross. The trash can contain diseases as well, that can be passed between animals that eat it. If trash is sitting in water, the water becomes contaminated, and when the water evaporates whatever was in the trash in now in the air!

If you don't know where your trash goes. LOOK IT UP! You're living in the 21st century where you simply can just look up things. You can also refer to the posters posted in each of the classrooms. We have one listed below:

Garbage Problem

Fall 2017

Volume 1, Issue 1

Garbage Problem 1

World Teacher’s Day Letter from the Editors

2

Plaza...not Playground! National Child Day “Outside” School Play

3

Ghostly Gala

Advice Column

Parent Teacher Interviews

4

Community Service Ahead Sensational Science Centre Advertisements

5

Boys Soccer Tournament Quarterfinals Le Programme de Fracais Intensif ROM is Awesome! 6s in the Forest

6

The GSA has moved in! Remembrance Day Girls Basketball Team At-tends Tournament.

7

Humans of Milne Valley Puzzles Comic Sports Club Schedule

8

Inside this issue:

Garbage receptacle

Garbage on our grounds.

After lunch behind our school.

The result of littering.

Milne Messenger

Page 2: Meet Mina; creator, rule follower, dreamer. Milne Messengerschoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/Portals/milnevalley/docs/Milne Valley... · The school is our second ... speech to show gratitude towards

cultural functions to celebrate the aus-

picious day of Teachers’ Day every

year. Some cultural functions include

drama, a competition of singing, danc-

ing, and mimicry. Students show their

love, affection and respect towards

their teachers by offering cards, flowers

or special gifts. They prepare a little

speech to show gratitude towards their

teachers. In various schools, a reunion

is arranged on that day to let teachers

know their importance in a student’s

life. In some schools, on Teacher’s

Day, students themselves become

teachers for small classes.

I have always had respect and grateful-

ness towards my teachers. I believe that

hard work, determination and a good

teacher can take me to success. By

celebrating Teachers’ Day, students

want to show appreciation for the posi-

tive impact teachers made on their

lives. A good teacher is like a candle- it

consumes itself to light the way for

others.

dents asked him to allow them to celebrate

his birthday, and he replied; “Instead of

celebrating my birthday, it will be my

proud privilege if September 5th is ob-

served as National Teachers' Day." Since

that day, the day of September 5th is cele-

brated as National Teachers' Day in India.

In Canada, it is celebrated on the fifth of

October. This day is auspicious for every-

one; Canadians and Indians.

Importance of Teachers in My Life:

Teachers are truly the apple of my eye.

They guide me, teach me and provide

value. Teachers are the real fortune maker

for a student. A student can never pay the

debt made by his/her teacher for making

him/her a successful person in life.

How India Celebrates this Occasion:

To give teachers honour, students organize

By: Madura S.

The Creation of Teachers’ Day:

Since 1962, the citizens of India cele-

brate Teachers' Day to give honour to

teachers for their great contributions to

the success of students. In India, the

month of September to is referred as

National Teachers' Month and the fifth

of September is celebrated as National

Teachers' Day. The date of 5th Septem-

ber was selected for celebrating Teach-

er’s day because it is the birthdate of

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, who was

India’s first vice president and second

president. He was a professor of phi-

losophy. According

to him, without edu-

cation, a person or a

nation can’t move in

the right direction.

During the time of

his professional ca-

reer, he was much

appreciated by his

students. When Dr.

Sarvepalli Radha-

krishnan was select-

ed as the president of India, his stu-

World Teacher’s Day

Milne Messenger Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 2

Milne Valley Messenger

DECEMBER 2017

Editorial Board

J. Fusco, S. Katsoulis, M. Magder,

J. Rosen

Publisher

J. Fusco

Editors

Anindit D., Katarina K.,

Mina S., Yousra L.

Contributors

Allison M., Alex H., Arvin A, Grace H., Bri-anna G., Lauryn C., Madura S., Michelle Z., Janna K., Jaycee A., Katerina K.., Sam Y.,

Shana G.

Photography and Design

Arvin A., Lakshita K., Katerina K., D. McLean., Sage D.

Artist

Raquel R.

personal stories of which they presented to

us. With the room full of tears, sniffles,

and open hearts (me included), we all

recognized how fortunate we are to live in

a country of such assurance of freedom and

security; but do not forget that they sacri-

ficed their lives for the future of ours. Mrs.

Ross’s String Orchestra (morning), and

Mrs. Colognia’s Band Ensemble

(afternoon) both performed with excellence

and represented our very cherished; Cana-

dian Anthem with pride. Then, having one

war ended at 11am, on the 11th day of the

11th month, in 1918, a two-minute silence

was held to all of Milne Valley at 11am to

remember the countless people who

passed. We all stood to the playing of the

trumpet, and the assemble came to an end,

though we all had a forlorn feeling

throughout the duration of the day.

Acknowledging both Mrs. Ross’s and Mrs.

Colognia’s huge contribution to the organi-

zation and content of the assembly, it

couldn’t have happened without them.

Another acknowledgment towards the two

MC’s for both assembly’s; Jayden and

Juan from class 8-1.

The Milne Valley GSA

By: Lauryn C.

The Milne Valley GSA was

started at the beginning of June.

Last year, when a grade eight

student addressed the issue of

homophobia, he helped organ-

ize a GSA that may have

changed our school. Some of

you may remember when

PFLAG came to Milne Valley

last year. Two parents with

children that identified with

LGBTQ came to our school

and educated us on the issues

that their children had to face

through their journey of coming

out to themselves and their

family. Each parent told the

story of their child’s troubles

and achievements through their

lives. They explained to us how

their kids came out to them,

and how some people handle it

badly. As they went on with

their presentation they showed

how normal it is to identify as

LGBTQ, and how the world

should not care anyway who

people decide to love.

On November 23rd, 2017,

Milne Valley invited PFLAG to

give another presentation to our

grade sixes. After the presenta-

tion, PFLAG will be having a

Q&A session in the library, so

if you still have questions, go to

the library at lunch. Over the

course of the year, the Milne

Valley GSA will strive to in-

clude many helpful activities in

hopes of raising awareness for

bullying that may have a homo-

phobic aspect to it. We meet

every other Thursday at lunch

in room 108, and all are wel-

come, don’t be afraid to join us.

Many of you do not even know

what GSA stands for. Some

schools have it stand for differ-

ent things. The most popular

one is the Gay Straight Alli-

ance, or Genders & Sexualities

By: Katerina K.

On Friday November the 10th (to substi-

tute for the traditional day), all students

were invited to an assembly in the cafete-

ria, but this was not just any traditional

assembly. With the amount of weeping,

showings of sympathy, reflecting, and

sensitivity that took place, we can all

concede that the day as a whole was very

emotional for all. Milne Valley Middle

School had its own private ceremony to

celebrate Remembrance Day (also known

as Armistice Day and Poppy Day).

For some, this was the day to show their

appreciation/gratitude towards the ones

whom have made our world the way it is

today. For certain individuals, this was the

day to remember the close ones whom they

have lost to countless wars/invasions, and

for others it was about commemorating

those whom died in armed conflicts, partic-

ularly in and since World War I. Regard-

less, this day was unmistakably a very

cherished, commemorated, yet solemnized

occasion. With all members of our school

glowing with red poppies kept above our

hearts, we were presented personal memo-

ries (certain staff members’ immediate

family experienced these horrid experienc-

es) reenactments, poems, songs, quotes

(acknowledging Mrs. Rosen’s class for

reciting quotes from the Holocaust), songs,

shared personal heart-breaking stories

(based on personal family survivors/

tragedies due to wars, invasions) from our

own teachers/staff. Mrs. Ross, Mrs. Co-

logna, Mme. Cusma, Mrs. Klinck, Mr.

McLean, Vice Principal-Mrs. Marvello,

Ms. Lister, Mr. Yarema, Ms. Hendela, Ms.

Magder, Mr. Matte, and our CYW; Ms.

Schullerer, all had their own sorrowful

Remembrance Day

The GSA has Moved in!

Milne Messenger Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 7

Alliance. During meetings we will

discuss why we are meeting, how

we can raise awareness, and what

some great opportunities may await

us. The GSA is open to anybody

who wants to share their ideas, lis-

ten, or if they just wish to talk at

lunch. As we advance throughout

the year, we may have many oppor-

tunities that include working out-

side of school. These could be mini-

projects like making a poster, or

writing an article. So if you enjoy

art, or writing, or learning new

things, the GSA could be a great

club for you!

GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM ATTENDS TOURNAMENT By: Katerina K.

On Thursday November 23 of 2017, strong and confident, the Milne Valley’s Grade 8 Girls Basketball team travelled to Pleasant View Middle School to play a consecutive 4 games against Pleasant View MS, Zion Heights MS, Northlea PS, and Willowdale MS. You may think Milne was intimidated by the other teams but when we’re placed on court, there is no telling what will happen. Personally (as a member of the team), with Mr. Katsoulis by our sides; I know that Milne gave all they had at today’s tournament! Unlike the previous multiple years, Milne isn’t progressing to the following round, but they represented Milne well as they gave their hearts for each and every game! Don’t worry Milne, there’s always next year!

Members of Grade 8 Team;

Alanis

Kassi

Tia

Aparna

Frances

Trinty

Lexi

Ioanna

Katerina

Mary-Anthy

Words from the Coach;

“You trained and played hard, no one can ask for anything more. Go Spartans!!!”

-Coach Katsoulis

Page 3: Meet Mina; creator, rule follower, dreamer. Milne Messengerschoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/Portals/milnevalley/docs/Milne Valley... · The school is our second ... speech to show gratitude towards

It was amazing to

see all the different

animals and trees

that were in the

exact spot 5, 10 and

even 20 years ago.

This was an exciting

trip and I think eve-

ryone enjoyed it!

Written by: Grace H.

Sweat pouring from their faces

the Spartans emerged from

their epic battle against the

Blank victorious. I’m sorry to

disappoint you dear reader but,

that is least from what truly

occurred, the Spartans suffered

a defeat with broken spirits

from this occasion. To start

from the beginning we have to

look back as October 23 (a

horrific event).

During this tragedy the Boys of

the Soccer team were preparing

for a victorious win. To their

disappointment their hard work

became penalties, as the other

team scored for these opportu-

nities. But from this event the

Boys Soccer team can learn

from this experience and win

victoriously. Let’s all give this

team a loud cheer for their hard

work “Go Spartans Go”, “Run,

run, run!”.

As the Spartans may not have

won but, they tried their best

and can learn from this experi-

ence and become better next

match.

On this trip the grade sixes

explored, identified and learned

about how every living thing

links together and that we all

need each other to survive. Not

only did we explore, identify

and learn, we discovered differ-

ent species, good and bad,

where they live, what they do

to help or harm the environ-

ment and where they come

from.

By Michelle Z.

On October 31st, the grade 6

students were able to explore

the outside

to learn

about bio-

diversity.

This wasn’t

any ordi-

nary trip.

6s in the Forest

apprendre pour l‘avenir et c‘est

amusante! Saviez vous que le

français est l'une des très rares

langues parlées partout dans le

monde, classé sixième langue

le plus parlé après le chinois

mandarin, l'anglais, l'hindi,

l'espagnol et l'arabe. Il y a ac-

tuellement plus de 220 millions

de francophones dans le

monde, dont 72 millions de

francophones. On estime que le

nombre de francophones

dépassera 700 millions d'ici

2050, dont 80% en Afrique.

Êtes-vous convaincu que l'ap-

prentissage d'une autre langue

est importante pour l'avenir?

Par: Allison M. et Janna K.

Savez-vous à propos du

programme de français

intensif ici à Milne Valley?

Quand vous êtes inscrits

dans le programme français

intensif en quatrième année,

vous avez choisi d'étudier

au moins la moitié du

temps en français. Est-ce

qu'il y a des avantages à ce

programme? Mais cer-

tainement! Il y a beaucoup

d'avantages avec ce pro-

gramme qui peut t'aider

dans l'avenir. Nous savons

que le français est une

langue très importante à

Le Programme de Français Intensif Boys Soccer Tournament Quarterfinals

Milne Messenger Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 6

Royal Ontario Museum is Awesome!

By: Shana G.

Biodiversity. Now, what is this? Biodiversity is a word that means variety of life. On November 2nd, the grade 6 classes visited the Royal Ontario Museum, to explore and learn about biodiversity.

There was so much to do there, we were able to explore amazing dinosaurs, birds, and many other animals. We got to see fossils, bones and real animals that got stuffed. I think most people enjoyed discovering new things. With hands-on activities, being able to touch things and see things that we thought we would never be able to was absolutely amazing. Let’s be real now, who thought we would able to see animals that were extinct along time ago? Have you ever heard of the Torontosaurus? It was founded when con-struction workers were building a subway in Toronto! Now let’s be honest, we were all pretty excited to see the dinosaurs. To be spe-cific the Tyrannosaurus Rex, King of all Dinosaurs! Who wouldn’t want to miss taking a picture and seeing the T-rex?

We got a chance to see how animals and even we humans evolved. In the subject of animals and birds I think one of our most fa-vourite parts was the bat cave. In a dark cave we got a chance to see how bats live. We talked about habitats and extinction of ani-mals with our tour guide. We saw some very big animals such as a huge crab and a gigantic squid. We saw how zebra mussels can take away animal lives being such teeny, tiny creatures. Now birds. Like I said the bat cave was great but we got to explore different types of birds and learn new facts about these amazing creatures.

Biodiversity Lecture

Pulling Dog Weed

Fall at Forest

Valley

tional, the story of “Outside” can be relat-

able for students who identify as part of

the LGBTQ group. The play is meant to

be an initiator for conversations around

the bullying of those who are different. It

shows the reality of how horrible and cat-

astrophic the events can be should this

type of behavior go unchecked. The play

also teaches us to be accepting of others,

no matter who they are or what they iden-

tify themselves as.

We’d like to thank Roseneath Theater for

putting on the beautiful production that is

“Outside”. The Milne Valley GSA (Gay-

Straight Alliance) also deserves a big

thanks for helping

to organize the

play and for put-

ting forth the initi-

ative for us to talk

about these issues

in our classroom.

If you want to join

the Milne Valley

GSA, you can

contact Ms. Masci or Mr.

McLean for additional infor-

mation.

Continue to spread hope and pos-

itivity in your school, and support

those who need it most.

By: Alex H.

This year there have been a lot

of issues at the plaza. That is

why I am here to give you

some tips on how to be safe at

the plaza.

I suggest that you not talk to

strangers or groups of kids you

don’t know. They can get you

into trouble.

Do not feel pressured by other

kids to steal or be rude to shop-

keepers or shoppers.

When going to the plaza you

must use the crosswalk and

never jaywalk. It is very

dangerous!

Even if there are no cars in

sight you still should not play

soccer, basketball or skateboard

in the parking lot.

Never chase after your ball if it

rolls into the street.

Leave stray cats and dogs

alone.

By following these suggestions

you will be safe and stay out of

trouble.

By: Jaycee A.

On November 3, 2017, Roseneath Thea-

ter came to our school and performed

“Outside”. The play tackled some heavy

topics such as depression, teenage sui-

cide, and homophobia in schools.

The play takes place in two separate high

-schools and follows Daniel, a high-

schooler, who reflects on his time in

middle-school and his previous high-

school where he was bullied for being

perceived as gay. Most of these flash-

backs include his two friends that he met

in his previous high-school, Krystina and

Jeremy. Daniel faces both physical

abuse, verbal abuse, as-well as cyberbul-

lying. Because of the constant bullying

and abuse and because Daniel struggles

with his identity, he falls into a depres-

sion and (unsuccessfully) attempts sui-

cide. After the incident Daniel is trans-

ferred to another school, where he is

currently telling his story.

Although the events in the play are fic-

"Outside"

Milne Messenger Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 3

Plaza...not Playground! National Child Day

By: Brianna G. and Jaycee A.

National Child Day is celebrated on November 20th, and has been celebrated in Canada since 1993. That’s nearly 25 years! National Child's Day was created to commemorate 2 legal papers created by the United Nations: the Declaration of the Rights of Children, on November 20, 1959, and the United Nations Convention on the rights of the Child on November 20, 1989. National Child Day’s purpose is to celebrate children and their importance to the world.

These papers ensured the rights of children and put into place rules that prevent children from being abused, neglected, or exploited by their parents and/or guardians. The rules were made to protect children and stop them from being raised in toxic and abusive environments.

National Child Day is a reminder to the next generation that they are significant to the future, and that they matter.

Underhill Plaza

About the Actors

“Outside” Performance

Page 4: Meet Mina; creator, rule follower, dreamer. Milne Messengerschoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/Portals/milnevalley/docs/Milne Valley... · The school is our second ... speech to show gratitude towards

By: Brianna G. and Jaycee A.

This year’s Halloween dance was

incredible!

Students showed off their Halloween

spirit with their spooky costumes and

awesome dance moves! The dance

was held from fourth to fifth period,

and was hosted by a long-time DJ of

Milne’s. Student council members sold

snacks and drinks, and helped to set up

the dance beforehand. Everyone had an

amazing time dancing to the songs the DJ

selected. There even was a dance compe-

tition where winners received free admis-

sion to the next dance! Overall, it was a

really enjoyable time!

Thanks goes to the Student Council for

making this dance happen. It’s your ad-

mission fees and support that makes these

dances a possibility. Continue to show

your love and support, so that

more fun events like this can

happen! Just remember to stay

safe and behave.

By: Shana G.

Hello Milne Valley students, parents and

guardians! Parent-teacher interviews

took place on November 16th and 17th

this year. Students, parents, and teachers

attended these conferences. Parents are

asked (at the very least) to see the home-

room teacher of their child, but if they

wish they may also visit other teachers.

It is “first-come, first-serve” for the

booking of the meetings.

At this interview parents, teachers, and

students are given a chance to talk, ask

questions, and be informed about their

child. The students were handed their

report cards on the 14th and use this

time to further consult with their teach-

ers. This is great for everyone because

this is a good chance for parents to meet

teachers (vice versa). I think we all want

to know how we can improve our aca-

demics.

I am sure that teachers want to inform

and discuss with our parents. The dura-

tion of one meeting is only ten minutes.

From a student's perspective, I would

want to know what I can work on and

how I can move forward. I personally

enjoy attending the meeting along with

my parents because I connect with my

teachers. It is a great way to improve

and reflect on your learning skills.

Hopefully you all attended and took

advantage of these meetings!

Parent Teacher Interviews

Ghostly Gala

Milne Messenger Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 4

Dear Ms. Fusco,

A classmate on the bus is constantly calling me mean and rude names. What should I do?

From,

Wondering

Dear Wondering,

Thank you for asking this question. First I would like to discuss the dif-

ference between bullying and kids causing conflict. Bullying is the in-

tent to cause some kind of harm. There is often an imbalance of power

(age, size, popularity) and a pattern of repeated behaviour. If this is

the situation then you’re being bullied.

It's no secret that bullying occurs on the bus, in the cafeteria and at

recess, which means your teacher may not be aware of it. Never feel as if

you may “bother” your teacher by telling them about these issues. We

take them very seriously and will go the distance to help. Believe it or

not, adults have also been bullied in their lifetime and know the effects

it can have.

Sometimes going to a teacher is not a strategy you’re comfortable with

and you want to deal with it in your own way. It is impossible to find

one strategy that will help all children but my best suggestion is to use

the “buddy system”. There is always strength in numbers. You don’t need

a table of friends, just one good one. Seek that buddy out at lunch and

before/after school. Being with someone else makes it harder to be iso-

lated or targeted by bullies. This buddy also becomes a witness that can

support you when you do decide to tell an adult.

Please do not suffer in silence. You are your biggest advocate. Making

the choice to tell an adult may be the best one. I am always here. Grab

me in the hall, class or the library. I will speak for you when you don’t

feel strong enough to speak up for yourself.

Ms. Fusco

Advice Column

The most interesting part of this trip was

the Science Centre's IMAX production. For

many students, this was their first time

watching an IMAX film. We watched a

hour long documentary (A Beautiful Plan-

et) about the beautiful planet Earth and the

experiences of

astronauts in space.

We were able to

learn many new

things from our

field trip! I hope

you learned some-

thing from this article too, and that you

might have the inspiration to go on a jour-

ney through the Science Centre.

By: Shana G.

The students at Milne Valley

in grade 6 and 7 are starting

community service hours. The

grade 8’s will be doing a com-

munity service project.

Community service teaches

us about no only how to help

people, but about how the 10

IB learner profile characteris-

tics can be put into action:

caring, open-minded, commu-

nicator, principled, balanced,

risk-taker, inquirer, knowl-

edgeable, thinker, reflective.

The Grade 6 students have to

do a minimum of 6 hours

over the academic year and the

7s have to do a minimum of 8

hours. In my opinion this is

quite easy. Often students

push themselves to volunteer

within the global community

but they don’t

realize that they

can start off with

their local commu-

nity. Before think-

ing of the big pic-

ture, I think we

should help our

local community

first. We can all

make a dif-

ference!

By: Grace H.

Let’s all be honest here, most students

don’t actually like science - we just say

that to please others. The Science Centre

is different. We can enjoy and learn dif-

ferent aspects of science, in different

forms ranging from texts and visuals. On

October 24th, classes 7-3, 7-5, 7-6 and 7-

7 had the opportunity to go to the Sci-

ence Centre and I was among them.

These classes were able to experience

three different aspects of the Science

Centre: the exhibits, a demonstration by

a scientist, and the IMAX Movie Thea-

tre.

Some of the activities at the Science

Centre were the exhibits. There were

many sections of the exhibition, such as

the tropical rainforest set-up. It was filled

with mist and all sorts of tropical plants

and animals (including a poisonous

frog)! You could also experience, illu-

sions, ecosystem, documentaries, space,

and more! Our Science Centre trip also

included a lesson demonstrated by a

scientist, where some lucky students

were able to have the opportunity to

touch different species from the ocean.

Sensational Science Centre!

Milne Messenger Volume 1, Issue 1 Page 5

The Science Centre

Ocean Exhibit

Community Service Booklet Do you like jewelry or beaded bracelets?

If you do come to study hall at lunch December

every Monday and Wednes-day.

Bracelets 4$ each

Necklace 5$ each

Milne Valley Food Drive

Did you know 1 in 4 chil-dren use foodbanks?

Please help by filling your class box starting Monday

Nov. 27th.

-canned goods -tuna

-pasta -peanut butter

-rice -oats -cereal

See Mr. Fisher with any question.

Community Service Ahead

Milne Valley is headed to

Quebec City! This spring, students from

grades 6 to 8 will be headed for a four day guided tour of the

city. Want in? We still have a few spots left! Contact

Ms.Cusma, Ms. Klinck, Ms. Masci, Mr. McLean, Ms. Mian

or Ms. Mihailescu for more info. The FINAL deadline to register is DECEMBER 8. If we don't have enough students we'll have to cancel the trip.