STEVESTON-LONDON SECONDARY NEWSLETTER€¦ · End of 2017 Highlights Sharks capped off 2017 with some noteworthy events – Kudos! Wonderful Winter Music Concert A full theatre of

January 2018 VOLUME 11, Issue 5 Ms. Carol-Lyn Sakata Principal Mr. Lee Banta & Ms. Anita Kwon Vice Principals Mrs. Roisin Clenachan-Johnson & Mrs. Michèle McLean PAC Co-Chairpersons Ms. Sherry Elwood Superintendent Dr. Eric Yung Board of Education Liaison STEVESTON-LONDON SECONDARY 6600 Williams Road Richmond, BC V7E 1K5 Phone: 604.668.6668 Early Warning: 604.668.6670 Fax: 604.668.6672 Email: [email protected] Website: http://slss.sd38.bc.ca Twitter: @StevestonLondon Instagram: @stevestonlondon Facebook: Steveston-London Secondary School

STEVESTON-LONDON SECONDARY

NEWSLETTER

“HOME OF THE SHARKS” – Established 2007

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JANUARY 2018 VOLUME 11, Issue 5

End of 2017 Highlights Sharks capped off 2017 with some noteworthy events – Kudos!

Wonderful Winter Music Concert A full theatre of parents and friends attended our annual Winter Concert on the evening of December 14 and were amazed by the impressive talents of the senior concert band, choir, guitar class, and jazz band. Classic, pop, and traditional holiday songs were performed with joy! SLSS students enjoyed an encore concert in the Shark Tank during the day on December 15. Thank you to all our incredibly talented musicians for spreading joy to our wider community!

Breakfast with Santa Superb! Thank you to the many parent volunteers and Student Council members who arrived as early as 5 AM on Friday, December 22 to prepare thousands of pancakes, sausages, hash browns, yogurt, and juice for all our students and staff. The school was treated to a wonderful holiday breakfast and enjoyed many talented musical and dance performances, and a visit from Santa himself! It was wonderful to see so many recent SLSS grads come back to say hello and everyone enjoyed the staff rendition of the 12 Days of Christmas. Breakfast with Santa is a fun and welcoming community building tradition at our school – a sincere and heartfelt THANK YOU to all the parents, students, and staff who contributed to making it a great success!

SLSS Making a Difference in the Community Congratulations and thank you to everyone at Steveston-London who contributed service and goods to the community this holiday season. While we encourage students to be engaged in positive ways throughout the year, an impressive number of student organizers contributed to many different community-minded events this past December. SLSS students collected food items for the Richmond Food Bank, gathered blankets and socks for Ignite the Warmth, collected school supplies for school in developing nations, and sang and performed at various community venues. It is important to be aware, involved and supportive, not just in the holiday season, but throughout the year. Thank you everyone who volunteered, donated, or helped make a difference in the lives of others.

Congratulations and Good Luck! Mark Cam Going to Toronto

Congratulations to grade 12 student Mark Cam who is a finalist in the prestigious Loran Scholarship competition! Mark is one of 88 finalists from across Canada who will take part in national interviews in February for the chance to be selected and awarded a Loran Scholarship. Up to 34 Loran Scholars will be selected from over 5000 applicants across the country. Mark has been recognized for his impressive leadership, character, and service in school and the community. We wish you all of the best in Toronto Mark!

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Course Selections for 2018-2019 Program Planning sessions for students are scheduled for January 23-26. Students will meet with their counsellor in grade groups to learn about options for courses, programs and post-secondary prerequisites; and choose their courses for next school year. New at SLSS this year is that students will be inputting their course selections on-line on their own devices. Grade 8 students will be inputting their selections as a class in school. All students must complete a paper copy of their course request signed by parents and submitted to the Counseling Centre on or before Monday, February 19, 2018. Our timetable and staffing for 2018-2019 is determined based on student course requests, so students must select carefully, taking into consideration their summer school and online learning plans. It is difficult to make course changes later in the process. Similarly, in early April, students will have an opportunity to check and confirm that their course selections are accurate. Students and parents can read the 2018-2019 SLSS Program Planning Guide online at http://slss.sd38.bc.ca/news/2018/01/22/program-planning-information#.

Semester 1 End – Assessment Week The last day of regular classes for semester one will be Monday, January 22nd. We will be using an amended schedule from Tuesday, January 23rd to Friday, January 26th. The structure of each day is designed to provide learning and assessment opportunities for students each day as we close out the first semester. A detailed schedule has been published for students and parents on the school website.

1) The structure of each day from January 23rd-26th, will be as follows:

8:25-9:40am – Block A, B, C, or D (Tues = A; Wed = B; Thurs = C; Fri = D) 9:40-10am – Break 10am-12pm – Assessment Block 1 12-12:55pm - Lunch 12:55-2pm - Assessment Block 2

2) During the first blocks of each day (8:25-9:40am), students will be either meeting with their block appropriate teacher or they will be in a program planning information session with their counsellor. Locations will be indicated on the published schedule. The program planning session grade group set up will be as follows:

Tuesday – Grade 11 program planning session Wednesday – Grade 10 program planning session Thursday – Grade 9 program planning session Friday – Grade 8 program planning session

3) At 9am on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Enriched Math 10 and Enriched Math 11 students respectively will be participating in the Graduation Numeracy Assessment.

4) At 9am on Thursday, January 25th, students taking English 12 in first semester will be writing their provincial exam.

Finish the semester strong – prepare well and do your best!

Semester 2 Start Up Monday, January 29 is semester turn around, a non-instructional day, to prepare for semester two. Students are not in session. Tuesday, January 30 is the start of semester two. Students will begin the day by attending a brief homeroom where they will receive a copy of their semester 2 schedule, and then students will attend new classes in DCBA block order.

Semester 2 marks the beginning of a fresh start! All students should set new targets for personal and academic success. Work towards achieving the goals that you have set for yourself!

Program Planning 2018-2019

Endings and New Beginnings Read important information on semester 1 end and semester 2 start up

School Transfer Applications Richmond students wishing to transfer to a non-catchment school must apply by filling out an RSB-SA23 transfer form available in every school office. The form must be initialed by the catchment school, and then submitted to the requested school beginning Thursday, January 11, 2018. The final deadline for school transfer applications to be submitted to the office of the “requested school” is 4 PM on Friday, February 2, 2018. Applications received at the requested school by February 2 may be approved to attend on a “first come , first served” basis if there is space available after all continuing, catchment, and feeder school students have been enrolled. Notification will be mailed by the school to parents on February 9. Appeals must be submitted to the Office of the Superintendent of Schools by February 23. It is important to note that students who reside in Richmond and are currently attending SLSS on a previous transfer do not need to reapply each year.

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SLSS Parent’s Corner

Stay Connected, Keep Informed, Get Involved SLSS Dry After Grad (DAG)

A group of enthusiastic parents are busy organizing Dry After Grad 2018. Please support our DAG parents. See the DAG fundraising letter and the ReturnIt Express fundraiser flyer. The next DAG meeting will be on Wednesday, February 14 at 7:30 PM in the Library.

SLSS Alumni AGM – January 24, 7 PM Grads of Steveston, London, and Steveston-London are all alumni and welcome to attend the SLSS Alumni Association’s Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, January 24 at 7:00 PM in the library. It is now 11 years since the amalgamation of Steveston and London. The Alumni group would love to see some recent Shark grads come out and get involved in the Alumni Association! Find out how you can get involved to support your school.

Request from Tech Ed Department Any motorized equipment to get rid of? The Transportation Program is looking for donations: Leaf blowers, weed whackers, chainsaws, lawn mowers, outboards, jet skis, motorcycles, motorized scooter/skate boards, very small vehicles (e.g. Geo Metro/Tracker), or anything else small with an engine. Also: Bicycles, unopened oil. Contact Mr. Adam Thorvaldson at [email protected]

SLSS Parent Advisory Council (PAC) At the last PAC meeting on January 17, the vice principal, Mr. Banta, spoke about the Semester 1 assessment days and provided an overview of program planning for the next school year. The next PAC meeting will be Wednesday, February 21 at 6:30 PM in the Library. All parents of SLSS students are members of PAC and everyone is welcome to attend.

IMPORTANT Parent Action Required

Immediately!

MyEducation BC Parent Portal This is a reminder to parents that with the launch of the MyEducation BC Parent Portal in December that we will be publishing student report cards electronically from now on. This means that your teen’s next report card, on February 7, will be published electronically and available to you online on the Parent Portal. (Paper report cards will no longer be available).

If you haven’t done so already, please activate your account as per the email sent to you on December 4. Details can be found on the school website at http://slss.sd38.bc.ca/.

Account Problems? Please contact the school by sending an email to [email protected]. In the subject line, please put Parent Portal, and in the message include the following: Login ID, Parent/Guardian Name, Son/Daughter’s Name and Pupil #, and a brief description of your account issue.

NOTE: Troubleshooting account issues may take up to 1 week to resolve.

Safe Driving Reminders Every day in BC there are motor vehicle accidents and pedestrians getting struck, causing serious injury and death. We urge all drivers coming to the school to always drive with caution and common sense and obey traffic laws and signs. Do not enter in “exit” lanes and do not pass cars stopped in front of the school. Do not stop in the middle of Gilbert Road or Williams Road to pick up or let passengers out of your vehicle – these are very busy city streets! Slow down near the school and be aware of pedestrians, boarders and cyclists. In the winter months, it is often dark and rainy until late morning and again in the early afternoon, so adjust your driving accordingly. Watch out for students crossing the road. Pedestrians should always use the light-controlled crosswalks and only cross the busy Gilbert or Williams Roads after looking to be sure oncoming vehicles actually stop. Finally, avoid the hectic “rush hour” congestion times by arriving 10 minutes earlier or picking up 10 minutes later and remember, teenagers can walk a few blocks to school – they won’t melt and the exercise is good for them!

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Latest News Around the School Catch up on all that is happening in and around SLSS

SLSS Press The SLSS Press has been reinvented! The student based newspaper has a wide range of articles, from comic strips to school event coverage to videos -- all of which can be easily accessed online! It’s a chance for Sharks to get involved with our school community and learn all about what’s happening at Steveston-London and beyond. Our club encourages students of all grades to join and “self express with SLSS Press!” Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @slsspress, and check out our website at www.slsspress.weebly.com!

Rainbow Club Conversation Cafe SLSS school-based sponsor teacher, Ms. Acosta reports about a Rainbow Club event. The SLSS Rainbow Club hosted its very first Conversation Cafe on January 19th. Members of other Richmond Gay-Straight Alliances attended this social event for LGBTQ+ students and their allies. Participants enjoyed connecting with students from other schools over snacks and refreshments. A special thank you to Ms. Shigeno and Ms. Easton for their contributions towards making this event possible!

Attention Grads of 2018 Important reminders about upcoming events. Follow Grad Class of 2018 on FB!

Grad Photos, January 21-27 All 2017 grads must go online to book their appointment time for the Artona Mobie Studio from January 21 to 27. Go to www.artonagroup.com for more information. Even grads who may not want to purchase a photo package must sign up to be photographed and have their grad photo in the yearbook and on the framed 2018 grad composite that will hang in the hallway.

Grad Winter Formal – February 3 Our Grad Committee has organized a mid-year dinner and dance open to SLSS students in Grade 12. The event will be held at the Riverside Palace Ballroom at 6:30 PM on Saturday, February 3. Our grads look forward to the event and the dress code is “semi-formal”. School and professional security will ensure that this is a completely safe, fun, and alcohol and drug free event. Let’s make Grad 2018 our best yet!

SLSS Artists Congratulations to the 26 art students who exhibited at the Rondo Gallery at the Richmond Cultural Center. This is a very prestigious public art gallery that juries its shows. Any artist or artist group who wishes to exhibit usually has to wait 2 years if they get accepted. The SLSS Visual Art Department has been asked to exhibit their students' artworks each December without having to apply.

According to Arts Coordinator, Camyar Chaichian Arts Programmer - Visual Artsour exhibits are the highlight of each year and , the feedback has been incredibly positive. Camyar stated that this year's show has been the best ever and was excited by the overwhelming positive response of the public.

For those who have not had an opportunity to see the show...most of the works are now exhibited outside our library. Enjoy the creative endeavors of SLSS Art students!!!

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SLSS Fine Arts Music & Theatre

Sharks Athletics #GoSharks

All the World’s a Stage December 2017 saw all the drama classes competing in holiday theatre sports tournaments in which students practiced their improv skills and ended 2017 with lots of imagination and laughs and good enthusiastic competition. Winning teams include The Quick Sly Fox, Jelly Jeff, Five Red Hens and the Ninja Daddies! Congratulations to all!

Now that we’re into January, we are reaching the end of the first semester. In the senior Drama class, our directors are getting ready to present their adapted one act plays and are putting the finishing touches on their original scripts. We are hoping to present all the one acts at the end of January!

In Drama 9/10, students are working on monologues and scenes from Shakespeare, while the Theatre Production students are producing their final sound and light shows. In Drama 8, students will be presenting their two minute “show and tell” speeches and finally get the chance to work on a script!

The Drama Club is starting work on our second show of the school year. Written and produced by directing and scriptwriting students, Emily Ison and Mandy Huang, “R.E.D.” tells the dramatic story of a high school in a lockdown. Emily and Mandy have been working on the script since the summer and will begin auditions on January 16. Rehearsals will start in February. It is a great opportunity for our student actors and crew to work with these enthusiastic new directors and we are all looking forward to the process of putting the play together. Welcome to 2018!

Sharks Athletics January is a wild month for our SHARKS! Basketball is in its final month of regular season games and the stakes are HIGH. Playoffs for all of our teams start at the end of the month… don’t forget to check out schedules on esportsdesk and come out to support your favourite teams!

http://www.esportsdesk.com/leagues/pick_league.cfm?clientID=7&leagueID=0

Table tennis is also starting up this month… don’t miss it!

This month we hosted our annual Carkner Memorial Senior Basketball tournament. Thank you to students, parents, and teachers who came out to cheer on our SHARKS senior girls and boys from January 18-20.

For more information on Sharks Athletics, visit http://slss.sd38.bc.ca/extracurricular/sharks-athleticsor contact Ms. R. Lewin in the PE office.

Fine and Performing Arts The Music, Art, and Drama Departments will once again be taking over Aberdeen Centre for an afternoon and putting on their annual presentation for Education Week. The annual event showcases the best of what is happening in Richmond schools, and will feature SLSS Drama performances, displays of SLSS artwork, and our Senior Band, Band 8, Choir, and Jazz Band. Parents are invited to see what SLSS students are up to outside the core academics as they display the full range of their creativity.

Friday March 2, 12 Noon @ the Aberdeen Centre Fountain Atrium.

Music News Our Jazz Band and Choir will be participating once again in this year's Jazz Nite at Gateway Theatre on at 7 PM on March 5. This inter-high school event features performances from several high schools including our own, and has become an annual tradition. Tickets are $8, available at the door or see Mr. Mikulin for tickets.

The Choir has once again been invited to participate with Richmond Chorus in the annual Richmond Sings, a charity musical event featuring choirs of all age levels. The event is April 24 at 7 PM at Fraserview Church.

The Spring Music Concert is Thursday, May 31 at 7 PM in the SLSS Theatre. This is our annual Year End concert for parents, followed by an encore performance for the school the next day.

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IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES January 21-27 Grad Photos by Appointment February 12 Famil Day Holiday January 23-24 Graduation Numeracy Assessment February 14 DAG Meeting, 7:30 PM January 25 English 12 Provincial Exam at 9 AM February 15 Meet the Teacher Afternoon, 3:45-4:45 PM January 29 Semester Turn Around (No School for Students) February 15 Grade 8-11 Program Planning Info Night, 5 PM January 30 Semester 2 Begins, DCBA February 19 Grade 9 Immunization January 31 Grade 7 Parent Info Night, 7 PM February 19 Course Selection Sheets DUE February 3 Winter Formal, 6:30 PM February 19 Online Course Request Entry Closes for Grade 9-11 Feberuary 6 Collaboration Day February 21 PAC Meeting, 6:30 PM February 7 Report Cards Published (Access is on Parent Portal) February 23 Pro-D Day (No School for Students)

Career Centre News SLSS Career Centre website: http://slsscareercenter.wordpress.com

All 2018 grads are encouraged to book an appointment with Mrs. Kerr to discuss post-secondary plans and options. Students are urged to check the Grade 12 Bulletin Board (by the Williams Rd. Staffroom) regularly for post-secondary updates, deadlines and reminders (scholarships, information sessions, new programs, etc).

Career Centre Hours: Monday – Thursday 10:30 AM – 3:30 PM Students sign up for appointments at the door of the centre.

Grade 12s: Graduating students should be in the process of submitting their post-secondary applications. BC students applying to out-of-province universities should be familiar with admission requirements, important deadlines, how to apply and submit applications before January 2018.

• BC Institutions: Students may apply directly to the institution or use EducationPlannerBC: https://apply.educationplannerbc.ca • Ontario Institutions: B.C. students must apply on-line through the Ontario Universities Application Website:

http://www.ouac.on.ca/ouac-105/ It is recommended that BC students apply by mid-November. Rank your university choices. Submit official hardcopies of your grades to your choice post secondary institutions in Ontario if required.

• Alberta Institutions:Use the on-line application service https://applyalberta.ca/ • All Other Institutions: Varies – please check their website.

NEW! StudentsTranscripts Service (STS). Please note that the PSI "Choices" form is no longer available and replaced by the Students Transcripts Service (STS). Students need their PEN number to register. The Ministry of Education has just launched the StudentTranscripts Service (STS), a new online application for students to view their marks, scholarships and transcripts, and send transcripts to post-secondary institutions and third parties. To access the service, visit the Ministry of Education’s Order Transcripts and Certificates website at www.StudentTranscripts.gov.bc.ca and follow the instructions found there.

Document Deadlines: Many universities & colleges require additional information such as transcripts or supplemental applications or profiles, this is called a “document deadline”. This is separate from the application deadline and varies depending on the institution.

Register to write the TOEFL/IELTS and/or the LPI if you are required to do so. Contact the Career Centre or the individual post-secondary institutions you are applying to for requirements and exemptions. Grade 11 Students: If you are planning to attend a USA post-secondary institution after graduation, it is a good idea to register for and to write your SAT admission exam during your Grade 11 year! See the College Board website for registration details: http://student.collegeboard.org/ Skilled Trade Exploration Program – SPRING 2018 Are you in Grade 11 or 12 and curious about exploring a skilled trade? See your counsellor or career advisor today, to apply for Richmond School District’s one-week STEP Program. Apply to work for an entire week with the Richmond School District carpenters, plumbers, electricians, landscapers or H-VAC technicians. If you like Information Technology and computers, you may be particularly interested in H-VAC. Applications for this exciting work experience program are available from your Career Information Advisor or counsellor. Deadline to submit your COMPLETE application is Wednesday, February 7th. Don’t delay if this fantastic exploration opportunity is of interest to you! Grade 8-12 Students: Youth Train in Trades Workshops (Plumbing or Professional Cook) Study and Go Abroad Fair Spring 2018 Vancouver Resume & Cover Letter Workshops for Youth Dollar and Sense Financial Literacy Workship Youth Book Club Other Event Dates:

FEB 10/18: KPU Graphic Design for Marketing Early Application Interview and Portfolio Reviews FEB 17/18: Explore UVic (on Vancouver Island FEB 17/18: Quest University Open House Preview Event FEB 19/18: Langara Social Service Worker Information Session FEB 20: Veterinary Technology Information Session at Douglas College FEB 21: Langara Journali sm Information Session FEB 22/18: Langara Education Assistant Information Session JAN 24/18: Langara Journali sm Information Session JAN 25/18: Langara Education Assistant Info Session

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Documents

STEVESTON-LONDON SECONDARY NEWSLETTER€¦ · End of 2017 Highlights Sharks capped off 2017 with some noteworthy events – Kudos! Wonderful Winter Music Concert A full theatre of