October 13, 2020 - Tuesday We hope everyone has a good Thanksgiving Weekend and found time to relax and rejuvenate. We have a big newsletter for you today with all kinds of information on the happenings at WVH from our Drama Club, Sports, School Council, TFT, Mental Health Awareness and Social Media. Have a great week everyone!

Student Government Elections Thank you to students for expressing interest in running for our Student Government. The nomination process closed last Friday and all positions except for President were elected by acclamation. Congratulation to the following students Level 1 Rep: Level 2 Rep: Level 3 Rep: Chloe Clarke Kayley Rideout Maria Nash Ian Mills Jack White Emily Bishop 

Secretary Level 3: VP Level 2: Kathleen Spurrell Hannah Churchill 

The only position that we have to vote for is President and we would like to thank the following four awesome students for coming forward: (in alphabetical order)

● Lauren Dibbon ● Emma McIsaac ● Tim O'Brien ● Grace Walsh

The campaign will start today with a virtual campaign. Please visit our website to check out your candidates and their platforms. https://sites.google.com/nlesd.ca/wvh-student-gov/home Election day will be this Friday, Oct 16th. Voting will be done electronically. The link to the electronic ballot will be posted on the school website from 10am-12. The winner will be announced on Friday afternoon. All the best for an awesome campaign!

School Council The WVH School Council met for the first time today, Oct. 13th using Google Meet. It took a few minutes to get all our microphones working but we had a great first meeting. The main item on the agenda was the election of officers and appointed representatives. I would like to thank the following people for stepping forward and volunteering to be on council this year.

Chair: Terry Churchill Vice Chair: Debbie Kelly Secretary: Sharon Batstone Parent Reps: Donna Walsh and Stacey O’Dea Community Reps: Ward Pike Teacher Reps: Bob Smith &Cheryl Tucker Student Reps: TBA Ex Officio: Bridget Rickets We will be posting minutes on our website http://waterfordvalleyhigh.com/staff/school-council/ Please note the webpage has not been updated yet but will be in the next few days :)

Tutoring for Tuition We have received notification from the Department of Advance Education and Skills that the Tutoring for Tuition (TFT) Program is going ahead for the 20-21 school year. Additional information and guidelines will be forthcoming regarding the implementation of TFT at WVH so that it aligns with "A

Safe Return to School - NLESD September Reopening Plan" that was released on August 17, 2020. Ms. Jane Kelly, our PASS teacher will be our school coordinator and is starting the process of acquiring student tutors. If you are interested in being a tutor please contact her in Room 212.

Yearbook Yearbook is off to a solid start! We are looking for a few more people interested in photography, writing, etc. This could quite possibly be the most interesting and most challenging yearbook ever! We will meet at lunch in Room 319 on Day 7. Next Meeting is Monday Oct 17 Please bring along your lunch!

New Calendar Please note that three extra days off have been added to the school calendar. Two days were added before the Christmas breaks so school will now close on December 18th. As well an extra day off was added on March 15th when school will also be closed. Please note that the 7-DAY CALENDAR will remain the same. We will skip the new holidays as we would a weather day.

Drama Club Interested students met last week on Thursday at lunch with Mr. Rideout. There was a fairly big turn out as all our drama people came out to join the group. Mr. Rideout explained that most of the drama performances/work this year will be virtual in nature. The group discussed a virtual skit for Remembrance Day, a possible virtual Christmas skit, as well as ideas of how the group can bring live theatre to audiences with the possibility of an outside performance with audience social distancing. Stay tuned for more exciting information from our Drama Club!

School Picture Day is coming on November 2nd! The NLESD has granted Lifetouch permission to photograph in schools. This is good news for schools and I am sure for many parents across the Province. We have booked WVH’s Picture Day for November 2nd. Please keep in mind that this is a ‘one shot deal’. Photographers will be at WVH for one day only and there will not be any retakes. This as you can imagine will not be a normal photography year. There are many protocols that we together will have to follow to make the photo process safe for our students and our staff. With this in mind we will be working directly with Lifetouch to discuss the photo shoot and the setup and arrangement. This year will be a year that we will all probably want to forget but it will also be a historic year that parents will want to remember in the way of school photos and a yearbook. Lifetouch has passed on the message that they are so happy that the School Board has made this possible so we can capture these school year memories for families across NL.

WVH Sports News

Softball The Waterford Valley High Boys 2020 Softball team finished in the top 4 of this year’s NLESD softball tournament. Finishing 2-1-1 in the round robin, the Warriors advanced to the quarter final game against Mt. Pearl Senior High. Trailing 7-4 going into the top of the 7th and final inning, Waterford Valley erupted for 4 runs to take the lead and hang on to an 8-7 win. Fan support was tremendous and much appreciated by all players and coaches The semi-final game against O’Donel was also well played. However, O’Donel proved to be the stronger team as they scored six runs in the bottom of the 6th to secure a 14-6 victory.

Members of the Waterford Valley Boys team Level 3 Level 2 Max Benson Jacob Kirby Aaron Cake Ethan Hayward Chris Druken Michael Bambrick Luke Sherriffs Eli Dunphy Liam Barrett Cameron Standord Tyler Aaron Earles Chris Hennessey Seamus O-Brien Nick McDonald

Missing Cam Stanford and Nick McDonald Coaches- Glenn Cake, Chris Druken Sr. and Brad Sherriffs

Volleyball, Rugby and Soccer at WVH!

1. Girls volleyball tryouts are changed to tomorrow Wednesday at 3:10-4:35. The 2nd try out will also happen on Thursday, 3:10-4:35pm. Tryouts are open to any girl in Grades 10 to 12. Let’s GO!

2. Boys Volleyball tryouts will also be taking place this week on Wednesday and Thursday - both days at 4:35-6:00pm. Open to all boys in Grades 10 to 12! Go Warriors!

3. Boys Soccer team are asked to get your $20 in to Ms. Gibbons ASAP. Girls soccer qualification tournament begins next week

4. Boys rugby. Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Swilers Pitch at 4:15 starting this today Tuesday, Oct 13. Open to all boys in grades 10-12.

Student Behaviour Expectations at Sporting Events What is it to be a Warrior? It’s maintaining the utmost integrity and sportsmanship during all school functions; be it a field trip, sporting event or when we invite Guest Speakers to our school. Unacceptable behaviour at a sporting event, regardless of whether you are are a spectator or participant, regardless of location, and regardless of whether a WVH team is playing, will be subject to discipline from the school which might include:

● suspension from school ● banned from attending any future games as a spectator ● suspension from a sports team ● being prohibited from being a member from any sports team at WVH for the remainder of the

year.

We ask that parents and guardians please support the school in this matter. We understand that games may be intense and evoke strong emotions however a reminder to please act as role models during all sporting events.

How to Spot a Hacked Instagram Account There are several signs that hint an account maybe being exploited by attackers:

● Modified user name ● Different profile image ● Different profile full name ● Different profile bio ● Profile link changed/added ● New photos uploaded

Mental health is essential to our overall well-being and as important as physical health

World Mental Health Day is Oct 10, every year. October 10, 2020 was World Mental Health Day. As part of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) efforts to raise awareness of mental health issues around the world and mobilize efforts in support of mental health, WHO developed a resource Doing What Matters in Times of Stress: An Illustrated Guide - a stress management guide for coping with adversity. This resource provides people with

practical skills to help cope with stress. A few minutes each day are enough to practice the self-help techniques. The guide can be used alone or with the accompanying audio exercises. This resource can be downloaded free from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240003927 Canada’s focus for World Mental Health Day is on protecting and supporting mental health in the workplace. Check out the resources at https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/news/2020/10/world-mental-health.html

Mental Illness Awareness Week #MIAW20: There is no health without mental health

https://cmha.ca/news/miaw20-there-is-no-health-without-mental-health October 2, 2020 Each October, people across Canada speak up for Mental Illness Awareness Week. This year, it was marked from October 4 –10. It’s a week of public education and awareness that encourages Canadians to learn about mental illness and share their experiences with it. But the learning doesn’t stop on October 10. This year’s theme for Mental Illness Awareness Week is There is no health without mental health. The pandemic has brought on new challenges and highlighted existing struggles that Canadians face. All people in Canada deserve timely and effective mental health supports. And as COVID-19 continues to put a strain on our communities, we need to prioritize mental healthcare now more than ever.

SOCIAL MEDIA - Things to be aware of Social Media is here to stay. It’s a big part of our teens life. Social networking and communication technologies are changing the way that youth communicate and build friendships/relationships. There’s a lot of positives. But, it also causes a lot of grief & hardship for youth and their families. How can we protect ourselves & people we care about?

Protecting Your Online Identity and Reputation https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/online-id.html Reviewed by: Elana Pearl Ben-Joseph, MD Whenever you use a social network, send a text, or post online, you're adding to your online identity. Your online identity may be different from your real-world identity — the way your friends, parents, and teachers think of you. Trying on different personas is part of the fun of an online life. You can

change the way you act and present yourself to others, and you can learn more about things that interest you. And, just as in real life, you can take steps to help you stay in control. Things to Consider Here are some things to consider to safeguard your online identity and reputation:

● Remember that nothing is temporary online. The online world is full of chances to interact and share with others. It's also a place where nothing is temporary and there are no "take-backs." A lot of what you do and say online can be seen even if you delete it — and it's a breeze for others to copy, save, and forward your information.

● Mark your profiles as private. Anyone who accesses your profile on social networking sites can copy or screen-grab information and photos that you may not want the world to see. Don't rely on the site's default settings. Read each site's guidelines to make sure you're doing everything you can to keep your material private.

● Safeguard your passwords and change them often. If someone logs on to a site and pretends to be you, they can trash your identity. Pick passwords that no one will guess and change them often. Never share them with anyone other than your parents or a trusted adult. Not even your best friend, boyfriend, or girlfriend should know your private passwords!

● Don't post inappropriate or sexually provocative pictures or comments. Things that seem funny or cool to you right now might not seem so cool years from now — or when a teacher, admissions officer, or potential employer sees them. A good rule of thumb is: if you'd feel weird if your grandmother, coach, or best friend's parents saw it, it's probably not a good thing to post. Even if it's on a private page, it could be hacked or copied and forwarded.

● Don't respond to inappropriate requests. Many teens get inappropriate messages and solicitations when they're online. These can be scary, strange, and even embarrassing. If you feel harassed by a stranger or a friend online, tell an adult you trust immediately. It is never a good idea to respond. Responding is only likely to make things worse, and might result in you saying something you wish you hadn't. You can report inappropriate behavior or other concerns at www.cybertipline.org.

● Take a breather to avoid "flaming." Feel like firing off an angry text or comment? Wait a few minutes, calm down, and remember that the comments may stay long after you've regained your temper or changed your mind.

● Feeling anonymous on social networks or other sites can make people feel OK about posting mean, insulting, or abusive comments. Sharing stuff or making angry comments when we're not face to face with someone can be hurtful and damage how others see us if they find out. A good rule to remember: if you wouldn't say it, show it, or do it in person, you don't want to online.

● Respect copyrights. Know about copyright laws and make sure you don't post, share, or distribute copyrighted images, songs, or files. Sure, you want to share them, but you don't want to do anything illegal that can come back to haunt you later.

● Check yourself. Check your "digital footprint." Try typing your screen name or email address into a search engine and see what comes up. That's one way to get a sense of what others see as your online identity.

● Take it offline. In general, if you have questions about the trail you're leaving online, don't be

afraid to ask a trusted adult. Sure, you might know more about the online world than a lot of adults do, but they have life experience that can help.

● Your online identity and reputation are shaped in much the same way as your real-life identity. But when you're online you don't always get a chance to explain your tone or what you mean. Thinking before you post and being responsible can help you avoid leaving an online identity trail you regret.

Cyber Security: Spam, Scams, Frauds and Identity Theft https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/digital-issues/cyber-security/cyber-security-spam-scams-frauds-identity-theft Spam, online scams and frauds, identity theft, identity spoofing and issues related to online purchases are a serious issue in the online world. Navigating the Web while avoiding these threats can be a challenging task. Reports of Identity spoofing - where the victim is impersonated on social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, are on the rise. It’s not uncommon for Instagram profiles to be hacked and exploited, sometimes modified with sexually suggestive imagery to trick users into visiting certain sites. Identity spoofing may also involve spoofing someone’s IP address (the unique number associated to your computer as you surf the internet). The purpose of identity spoofing on social networking sites can range from a simple prank to more serious attacks aimed at shaming or hurting someone.mInternet Protocol spoofing is used by hackers to cover their tracks or to gain access to places normally closed to them.

Things to keep in mind when online - Protect yourself from identity spoofing - update privacy options, make strong passwords, don’t

share passwords - Don’t give out full name, full birth date, or SIN - Be aware that downloading pirated music and videos also greatly increases the risk of

downloading viruses or other malware. Often people are asked to download other software to access it or to visit sketchy websites. Consider legitimate streaming or downloading music and videos online - relatively risk-free.

- Make sure any computers or mobile devices are equipped with good security software. - Check out strange offers or requests on a good anti-hoax site such as www.snopes.com. - Online shopping is huge, but it opens youth to the risk of auction fraud, data theft and

overspending. Prepaid credit cards help prevent overspending. Learn how to judge vendor reliability on sites such as eBay and Amazon. Use your browser’s Private Browsing mode whenever you make online purchases and do not let any website store credit card information.